I have always believed a person can tell a lot about a country from its supermarkets and the products sold. From an early age, I was absolutely mesmerized by supermarkets in the US, and thought they were a lot more “fun” than the Italian ones. Bright colors everywhere and never-ending aisles of all kinds of cereal, hot dogs, and frozen waffles. For me, that was the equivalent of a Promise Land. Growing up, even though I still love the US very much, I realized it would be better not to eat too many of those products I was so fascinated by as a kid. I also realized that in the United States, if you want to eat produce of higher quality, you must be willing to spend A LOT.
Fortunately, here in Italy produce is generally of excellent quality pretty much everywhere and at a much more reasonable price.
What often differs is the availability and offer of products, based on the area in which the market is located. Taking the city of Florence as an example, the more grocery shops are confined within the walls of the historic center, the smaller the actual shop will be. On the contrary, as we leave the center towards the city’s outskirts, the size of supermarkets increases. What generally remains unchanged, as I mentioned initially, is the quality of the produce.
The most known and frequented supermarket chains by the Florentines are Esselunga, Coop, Conad, and Carrefour.
The first two are usually very big, at least by Italian standards, and are located just outside the historic center. For example, for ISI Florence students, the Coop on Via Cimabue and Esselunga on Via Masaccio are very easy and convenient to reach within a short walk from every apartment. As for Conad and Carrefour, several can be found within the center, although obviously, they are smaller and generally a little more expensive too.
A great way to save a couple of euros is getting hold of the membership card – ask the cashier how to subscribe. It is free (except at Coop’s) and has no expiry date.
Most supermarkets offer the possibility of ordering groceries online and having them delivered directly to your home. The cost of the service is generally around 8 Euros. But unless you are overwhelmed by the preparation for several exams, I recommend that you go directly to the store to do the shopping, both for a more genuine experience and a more accurate selection of products.
As an alternative to supermarket chains, the markets of San Lorenzo and Sant’Ambrogio deserve a special mention. Every morning except Sundays, from 8am to 1pm, you can buy fresh produce of all sorts, from fruit to vegetables, meat, fish, and a variety of condiments and sauces that make Italian cuisine unique in the world.
Please note that, unlike many American grocery shops, you will have to personally pack the products at the end of your “shopping experience”, but I’m sure that after a good “Tetris” workout you won’t have any problems doing so.
Enjoy your shopping and above all buon appetito!