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Italian shoppers explore the recently pened Veneto Designer Outlet shopping mall.

Italian shoppers explore the recently pened Veneto Designer Outlet shopping mall. (Kent Harris / S&S)

American military shoppers in northern Italy who can’t get enough designer clothing — but don’t always have enough money to purchase it — can start to celebrate.

The Veneto Designer Outlet mall in Noventa di Piave opened in late September, just an hour’s drive (or less) from U.S. bases in Aviano and Vicenza. Only 22 businesses in the center were open during the first week of October, but 80 are expected to be up and running by the end of the year.

Just in time for Christmas.

Don’t expect to find bins of cheap clothing you can purchase with pocket change. Many of the brands might be familiar to even the most casual of fashionistas — Nike, Guess, Calvin Klein — but with the dismal dollar-euro exchange, they are not particularly affordable. And while the center touts discounts ranging from 30 percent to 70 percent, that means that a dress that starts off costing more than 2,000 euros is still going to cost several hundred euros.

Not that there appears to be a shortage of customers interested in such buys. The center drew a huge crowd when it opened, although the number of shoppers during a weekday in the first week of October had dropped off considerably. That’s expected to change as more stores open — only about half the spaces are occupied. And many other stores are scheduled to move into areas created by a second construction phase that hasn’t even begun yet.

Among current offerings (besides designer clothes): an art gallery, a travel agency, two restaurants and stores selling cosmetics, kitchenware, luggage and hot tubs. When it comes to clothes, Calvin Klein has two shops, Nike has one and a dozen Italian designers have stores opened or planned.

The center’s developer, McArthurGlen Group, is building similar centers at a rapid pace across Europe. The Veneto Designer Outlet is the fourth to open in Italy, with others near Rome, Florence and Milan. Outlets have been announced near Naples and on the east coast of Sicily. The British company has seven outlet malls in the United Kingdom, one in the Netherlands, two in France, one in Austria and one in Germany. More venues are planned for Germany, Austria and Greece.

Visit the corporation’s Web site (www.mcarthurglen.com) to find out more information about its operations around Europe. Specific information on the Veneto center, such as which stores are currently open for business, has recently been posted in Italian.

Many of the outlets appear to be close to major tourist destinations, and the Veneto location isn’t any different. Bus routes have been set up to ferry shoppers from the center into or out of Venice (as well as Mestre and Treviso). The new center is only a few freeway exits from more traditional malls in Marcon to the west and Portogruaro to the east.

On the QTDirections: Veneto Designer Outlet is about 40 miles from Aviano and not much farther from Vicenza. From Aviano, take Autostrada 28 to the junction with A4 at Portogruaro. Drive toward Venice and take the third exit — San Dona’/Noventa di Piave. From Vicenza, it’s the third exit past the one for the Marco Polo airport off the A4.

Times: The mall is open 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday. It will be open similar hours on most Sundays through the rest of the year.

Costs: The mall is open 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday. It will be open similar hours on most Sundays through the rest of the year.

Food: There are two restaurants in the center. Both offer sandwiches, salads, soft drinks, desserts and cocktails. In good weather, sit outside at a table at Culto Café and get a combo (sandwich/salad, drink and dessert) for 6.90 to 8.50 euros. Rustichelli Mangione, nearby, offers a wider selection and inside seating. Two more eateries will open in the next few months.

Information: A visitors center near the mall’s back entrance is open 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. English is spoken; telephone 0421-574210 or 0421-574211. The Web site www.mcarthurglen.com has information about the company’s developments around Europe, and some fresh information in Italian on the Veneto Designer Outlet mall.

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Kent has filled numerous roles at Stars and Stripes including: copy editor, news editor, desk editor, reporter/photographer, web editor and overseas sports editor. Based at Aviano Air Base, Italy, he’s been TDY to countries such as Afghanistan Iraq, Kosovo and Bosnia. Born in California, he’s a 1988 graduate of Humboldt State University and has been a journalist for 40 years.

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