Tvoi Agent
Buyers often talk about "the Macrolotto" as if it were a market, but it is neither a market nor a shopping centre. It is a set of industrial zones in Prato, planned by the city for manufacturing and warehousing, where hundreds of wholesale showrooms for ready-to-wear clothing have grown up over the decades. There is no main entrance, no signage by category and no shared catalogue: every warehouse works on its own. This guide explains how Macrolotto 1, Macrolotto 2 and Macrolotto Zero differ, what is usually sold where, who is allowed in and how to plan your day so that in a few hours you see the right suppliers rather than one random warehouse after another.
What the Macrolotto is and why there is more than one
In Italian, "macrolotto" means a large building plot. In Prato the word was given to the industrial zones the city set aside for textile businesses. Today it refers to three different places. Macrolotto 1 is in the south of Prato, in the Iolo area: this is what people almost always mean when they say they are "going to the Macrolotto". Macrolotto 2 lies in the south-east of the city, along the Florence-coast motorway (Firenze-Mare), on the border with the municipality of Campi Bisenzio. Macrolotto Zero is not an industrial zone at all but an urban neighbourhood near the old city walls, around via Pistoiese, where housing, shops and small businesses sit side by side. For a wholesale buyer these are three different scenarios, and mixing them up costs you half a day in travel.
Macrolotto 1 (Iolo): the main pronto moda showroom zone
Iolo is home to most of the wholesale pronto moda showrooms. The typical picture: blocks of near-identical warehouse units with styles displayed on the ground floor and the stockroom behind or upstairs, sometimes with a sewing workshop as well. The range is mainly womenswear: dresses, blouses, trousers, knitwear, outerwear. You will also find menswear, childrenswear, bags and accessories. Collections change often, and many suppliers bring out new styles every week. A significant share of the companies is owned by entrepreneurs of Chinese origin, with Italian firms working alongside them. Quality varies widely: in neighbouring units you can find both basic mass-market clothing and carefully made styles in Italian fabrics. That is why you assess the individual supplier, not the address. The zone keeps growing and new units are still being built.
Macrolotto 2, Macrolotto Zero and the factories beyond them
Macrolotto 2 covers around 150 hectares and, according to the zone's consortium, more than 400 small businesses operate there. It is a more mixed area: garment and knitwear production, fabric finishing, logistics and some wholesale companies. People come here less for a display of ready styles and more to meet specific manufacturers. Macrolotto Zero is an urban neighbourhood with dense retail, many shops and small outlets. As a rule it is not the place for your main wholesale buying. Keep in mind that Prato is not just the Macrolotto. Weaving and spinning mills, knitted fabric producers and sewing workshops are spread across the whole city, Montemurlo and the neighbouring municipalities. If you need fabrics or production under your own label, the route runs through completely different addresses.
Where to find what: zones by product
There is no official division of streets by category in the Macrolotto. An evening-dress warehouse, a basic knitwear warehouse and a bag warehouse can stand side by side. Some areas have picked up a specialisation over time, but it shifts: suppliers move, close down or change their range from season to season. That is why experienced buyers do not walk "by street", they work from a list. First they define what they need: categories, price segment, size range. Then they draw up a short list of suppliers who genuinely work in that segment, and only then plan the route by address. This saves time: in one day you can typically look properly at 8-15 showrooms instead of rushing through 40. We keep our own supplier database and update it, because addresses and ranges in the district change quickly.
Access for wholesale buyers
Macrolotto showrooms work with businesses only. As a rule they do not sell to private individuals, and many doors carry a sign saying wholesale only. Italian buyers are usually asked for their partita IVA (VAT number); foreign buyers are asked for company details for the invoice and export documents. Without them the purchase cannot be formally processed. A few more rules worth knowing in advance. In many showrooms photographing styles without permission is frowned upon. Minimums are counted in packs by size range or in series, not by the piece. Selected goods are held on reserve only briefly, so payment needs to be made quickly. Prices are generally quoted excluding VAT. The languages spoken are Italian and Chinese; English is not spoken everywhere. If you arrive with someone who speaks Italian, negotiating price and lead times is noticeably easier.
Practical tips for your visit
A car is the easiest way to get around the industrial zones: distances between units are long and public transport to the warehouses is inconvenient. Arrive in the morning: showroom hours vary and some close earlier than you might expect. Midweek is usually calmer than Monday. August and public holidays are best avoided; our guide to buying seasons covers this in detail. Bring your budget by category, the size chart for your market and your company details. For each supplier, note down the name, address, WhatsApp or WeChat contact and the numbers of the styles you picked straight away: by evening the warehouses blur together. Allow time for a second visit: after comparing several suppliers you will want to go back to one of them. Goods bought from different warehouses also have to be collected, checked and packed somewhere before shipping.
The Macrolotto remotely: live shopping
You do not have to come in person. We run live shopping sessions by video call on WhatsApp, Telegram, Viber or WeChat: we shortlist showrooms against your brief in advance, show you styles close up, including the fabric, seams and composition label, and confirm price and minimum on the spot. You choose, we reserve the goods and arrange payment against the factory's invoice, with no mark-up of ours on the goods. Everything bought from the various warehouses is then brought to one place, checked with a photo and video report, packed and shipped with export documents. The first session is included in our services, and the minimum order is EUR 500 for the whole purchase. Our commission is 10% up to EUR 2,000, 9% above EUR 2,000 and 7% above EUR 5,000. If you do travel yourself, we will escort you around the warehouses and negotiate in Italian.
Before you go to the Macrolotto
- Define your categories, price segment and size range
- Make a list of suppliers, not a route by street
- Check whether each address is in Macrolotto 1, Macrolotto 2 or elsewhere
- Bring company details for invoices and export documents
- Be ready to pay quickly in euros to reserve goods
- Record the contact and style numbers for every supplier
- Plan where goods from different warehouses will be collected and checked
- Avoid August and public holidays
Let us plan your Macrolotto route around your brief
Tell us which categories and segment you need, and we will shortlist showrooms, run a live session or escort you around the warehouses in person.