This article presents the results of an exploratory research aimed at investigating the spatial appropriation practices implemented by consumers attending the shopping streets of an urban center of Northern Italy. The hypothesis is that the visiting experience might be reinterpreted in narrative terms. For this purpose, a survey – based on non-participating observation – was carried out, involving a sample of 244 cases. The survey allowed to identify five consumption profiles: for each the urban environment appears to be imbued with personal meanings, in line with a different narrative strategy.