Furniture shopping tours to Italy: selecting and buying furniture from the manufacturers
A journey for furniture to Italy
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A furniture shopping tour to Italy is not a trip for the sake of a trip. It is a working visit where every hour is planned for a specific result: you see samples in person, choose upholstery from hundreds of catalogues, talk with factory representatives and place an order at manufacturer prices. No intermediaries, no Moscow showroom with a threefold mark-up — only direct contact with the source.
Mebeltour has been organising such trips since 2015. In that time we have built a stable network of partnerships with leading Italian factories in Milan, Brianza, Tuscany and Veneto — this is exactly where the furniture you see on the covers of architectural magazines is made.
How a furniture tour works
The programme is drawn up individually for each client. Before the trip we hold a kick-off meeting: we clarify the interior style, budget and specific items — sofas, beds, kitchen, lighting. Based on this we plan the route: which showrooms to visit, at which factories to place an order, how much time to allow for each stop.
The standard programme is 3–5 days. In that time it is realistic to cover 8–15 locations: flagship showrooms in the centre of Milan, production sites in Brianza (30–40 minutes from the city), and, if necessary, fabric and accessory suppliers in Como. We accompany you at every stage: we translate, negotiate, help with the choice and record the order terms.
What Mebeltour support includes
Our work does not end at the airport border. Buyer support covers the full cycle — from the first consultation to installation in your home:
- Pre-trip preparation — selecting brands and factories for your request, planning the route, booking appointments.
- On-site support — a negotiator-interpreter with experience in the furniture industry, transport between locations, help with choosing samples and materials.
- Order placement — agreeing prices, checking the specification, reviewing the contract with the factory.
- Logistics and customs — arranging shipment, cargo insurance, customs clearance, delivery to the site.
- Production monitoring — for a long manufacturing cycle we stay in contact with the factory and report on the order status.
How much you can save
The retail mark-up in Moscow and St Petersburg showrooms is 80–150% over the factory price. This is not speculation — these are objective costs: rent of premium premises, warehousing, staff, marketing. You pay for all of it, even if you need only one model.
Our commission is fixed — 5% of the order value. In practice this means: a sofa that costs 700,000 roubles in a showroom costs 350,000–380,000 when bought directly. The factory warranty is retained in full — you receive an original product with the manufacturer’s passport.
Who a furniture tour is for
The format is relevant for those furnishing an apartment or house with a budget from €15,000: at that volume the savings from a direct purchase fully cover the cost of the trip. Shopping tours are also chosen by designers and architects working on several projects at once: a single trip meets the needs of several clients.
If a trip is not possible — no problem. Mebeltour also works as a remote buyer: you describe the task, we take on the negotiations with the factories, send fabric samples and catalogues, and agree the order online.