Via Montenapoleone, the luxury shopping street in the heart of Milan, ranked first in Europe for fashion purchases in terms of average spend. The Milanese street recorded the highest average spend for fashion purchases, with €1,809.

The figure refers to the December 2016-November 2017 period, and was published in a survey by the Italian subsidiary of Global Blue, the tourism shopping tax-refund company.

Via Montenapoleone was followed, in terms of average fashion spend, by avenue Montaigne in Paris with €1,729 and Calle de Ortega y Gasset in Madrid with €1,602.

The via Montenapoleone shopping district "has become the most sought-after open-air luxury mall in the world, and has been replicated by many real estate developers designing new shopping malls," said Guglielmo Miani, President of the MonteNapoleone District retailer association. "Within a radius of a few hundred metres, [via Montenapoleone] offers everything, from shops to museums, restaurants and hotels," he added.

Via Montenapoleone's success is also due to Milan's increasing popularity as a tourist destination. "2017 was a crucial year for Milan: the number of visitors increased every single month, for a total growth over 2016 of 10%," said Roberta Guaineri, in charge of tourism for Milan's city council. "We have worked hard to improve Milan's international standing, turning it into a fully fledged tourist destination," she added.