How a Historic Milan Department Store Plans to Reinvent the Shopping Experience

For generations, Coin has been part of the Milan shopping experience. Whether browsing fashion, discovering home décor, or meeting friends for a coffee, the department store has long occupied a unique place in the city's retail landscape. Now, the iconic Italian retailer is preparing for its next chapter with an ambitious transformation designed to attract a new generation of shoppers.

Founded in Venice in 1916 by entrepreneur Vittorio Coin, the company began as a small textile store with the ambition of making quality fashion and household goods accessible to a wider public. Over the following decades, Coin grew into one of Italy's best-known department store chains, expanding into major cities including Milan. Interestingly, Coin predates the famous Milanese La Rinascente. While La Rinascente traces its roots to an earlier Milan department store, it officially adopted its now-iconic name in 1917, inspired by the poet Gabriele D'Annunzio. Together, the two retailers helped define Italy's department store culture, each developing its own identity and loyal following.

Investment

The company has unveiled a multi-year turnaround strategy backed by a capital increase of up to €30 million, with more than half of the investment expected during 2026. Rather than simply expanding its product range, Coin plans to modernize stores across Italy, strengthen its digital presence, and create compelling reasons for customers to spend more time in its physical locations.

Like many department store chains across Europe, Coin has faced significant headwinds in recent years. Changing shopping habits, the rapid growth of e-commerce, competition from fast-fashion retailers and consumers increasingly purchasing directly from brand websites have all eroded the traditional department store model. Financial pressures led to a major restructuring of the business, with new investment and a renewed management strategy aimed at restoring profitability. Rather than viewing the challenges as a decline in demand for physical retail, Coin believes shoppers are looking for something different—stores that offer inspiration, services and experiences that cannot be replicated online.

The 2026 Retail Industry Global Outlook Report by Deloitte states that 79% of executives surveyed say their organizations are investing in initiatives aimed at strengthening 
customer confidence.

New Brands & Shopping Experiences

One of the most visible changes will be the arrival of new fashion brands, including Mango, with another international label expected to follow. The additions are intended to refresh the retailer's fashion offering while reinforcing Coin's identity as a carefully curated department store rather than a traditional multi-brand retailer.

Perhaps the most unexpected development is the introduction of fresh food concepts in selected stores. Following a trend seen in many of Europe's leading department stores, Coin is looking beyond retail by blending shopping with dining and lifestyle experiences. The strategy reflects a growing belief that today's consumers are looking for destinations where they can browse, relax, and socialize—not simply make a purchase.

The company is also investing in its digital platform to better connect online browsing with the in-store experience. Rather than competing directly with online marketplaces on price alone, Coin aims to create a seamless journey between its website and its physical stores.

Meanwhile, CoinCasa, the retailer's home furnishings division and historic origins, will become a standalone business with dedicated management and investment. Expansion plans include approximately 80 new CoinCasa stores by 2029, with growth expected both in Italy and internationally.

For Milan, where the Coin flagship store in Piazza Cinque Giornate has served shoppers for decades, the announcement is about more than a corporate restructuring. It reflects a broader evolution taking place across the retail sector.

Shopping in Milan

The future of shopping in Milan is increasingly centred on experience. From historic department stores to luxury shopping districts and designer outlets just beyond the city, successful retailers are creating destinations that combine fashion, interiors, beauty, food, and hospitality under one roof. As consumer habits continue to evolve, Coin is betting that thoughtful curation, renovated spaces, and memorable customer experiences remain qualities that online shopping alone cannot replicate.

For visitors planning a shopping trip to Milan, the investment is another sign that the city's retail tourism scene continues to evolve, offering fresh reasons to explore both its historic shopping institutions and its ever-changing fashion landscape.

Coin
Piazza Cinque Giornate,  Milan

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Brands found at Coin Department Store in Milan

Today, Coin brings together well over 300 fashion, beauty, homeware and lifestyle brands, offering a mix of established Italian labels, international names and emerging designers. Shoppers will find familiar brands such as Mango, Liu Jo, Twinset, Marella, Max Mara Weekend, Tommy Hilfiger, Calvin Klein, Levi's, Adidas, New Balance and Samsonite, alongside premium beauty labels and carefully selected niche collections that are not always widely available in Italy. This balance of heritage brands and contemporary discoveries has long distinguished Coin from conventional department stores, allowing customers to browse everything from designer fashion and cosmetics to home décor and gifts under one roof, a formula the retailer hopes will become even more compelling as its transformation unfolds.

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