Comments on: Mom & Pop Shops http://italyville.com/2009/06/mom-pop-shops/ the result of growing up Italian Sun, 20 May 2012 20:43:45 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Valerie http://italyville.com/2009/06/mom-pop-shops/#comment-1843 Valerie Tue, 14 Jul 2009 19:00:12 +0000 http://italyville.com/?p=787#comment-1843 I'm with ya, Joe! I despise strip malls and shopping malls, and hate the repetition that we see every few miles of big box stores. I avoid the ipermercati and centri commerciale whenever possible and shop from the local shops. I give my bucks to the little guy! I’m with ya, Joe! I despise strip malls and shopping malls, and hate the repetition that we see every few miles of big box stores. I avoid the ipermercati and centri commerciale whenever possible and shop from the local shops. I give my bucks to the little guy!

]]> By: BGF http://italyville.com/2009/06/mom-pop-shops/#comment-1827 BGF Wed, 01 Jul 2009 17:33:02 +0000 http://italyville.com/?p=787#comment-1827 I wish there were more of those Mom and Pop stores in this country, Joe, like the ones I remember when I was growing up. We could certainly benefit from them. And who couldn't use a nice siesta every day! I wish there were more of those Mom and Pop stores in this country, Joe, like the ones I remember when I was growing up. We could certainly benefit from them.
And who couldn’t use a nice siesta every day!

]]> By: Vita Lenta nel Bel Paese http://italyville.com/2009/06/mom-pop-shops/#comment-1822 Vita Lenta nel Bel Paese Sun, 28 Jun 2009 08:01:54 +0000 http://italyville.com/?p=787#comment-1822 Caro Joe, Tutto d'accordo! Excellent comments. Down with the malls! You are absolutely right. Thank God, we still have vans coming to our paese three times a week (pane; frutta & verdura etc.) The general store is gone, but there is a farmers' market 4 km away every Thursday. AND! there is a counter reaction to mass production (at last!) Our village gourmet restaurant only uses Bio produced meat, food and greens. AND people come in crowds. Lovely entrepreneurship! Bacione, Ingrid in Umbria Caro Joe,
Tutto d’accordo! Excellent comments. Down with the malls! You are absolutely right. Thank God, we still have vans coming to our paese three times a week (pane; frutta & verdura etc.) The general store is gone, but there is a farmers’ market 4 km away every Thursday. AND! there is a counter reaction to mass production (at last!) Our village gourmet restaurant only uses Bio produced meat, food and greens. AND people come in crowds. Lovely entrepreneurship! Bacione, Ingrid in Umbria

]]> By: Joe http://italyville.com/2009/06/mom-pop-shops/#comment-1821 Joe Fri, 26 Jun 2009 18:28:40 +0000 http://italyville.com/?p=787#comment-1821 The mom & pop shops certainly make where you live feel like more of a community and esthetically pleasing. It's good to get Cherry's point of view as she lives near the mall I mention in the post... it does help keep the mom & pop shops honest... and that grocery store does have EVRYTHING. Including a 12foot mortadella! The mom & pop shops certainly make where you live feel like more of a community and esthetically pleasing. It’s good to get Cherry’s point of view as she lives near the mall I mention in the post… it does help keep the mom & pop shops honest… and that grocery store does have EVRYTHING. Including a 12foot mortadella!

]]> By: Jady http://italyville.com/2009/06/mom-pop-shops/#comment-1820 Jady Fri, 26 Jun 2009 14:19:28 +0000 http://italyville.com/?p=787#comment-1820 I like getting to know my grocer.. Mom & Pops all the way for me and though the shopping for a visitor was exceptional in touristy areas.. Florence, Rome, Sorrento I found myself always seeking out smaller, family run grocers & marketplaces that actually knew about the merchandise they were selling. I like getting to know my grocer.. Mom & Pops all the way for me and though the shopping for a visitor was exceptional in touristy areas.. Florence, Rome, Sorrento I found myself always seeking out smaller, family run grocers & marketplaces that actually knew about the merchandise they were selling.

]]> By: Claudia http://italyville.com/2009/06/mom-pop-shops/#comment-1817 Claudia Thu, 25 Jun 2009 21:49:49 +0000 http://italyville.com/?p=787#comment-1817 I would hate to see Italy become the giant strip mall that the USA is becoming! I would hate to see Italy become the giant strip mall that the USA is becoming!

]]> By: Cherrye at My Bella Vita http://italyville.com/2009/06/mom-pop-shops/#comment-1816 Cherrye at My Bella Vita Thu, 25 Jun 2009 20:22:28 +0000 http://italyville.com/?p=787#comment-1816 Hiya, Joe. I hate to be the odd-man out b/c in theory I agree with everything you and the commenters said. I still LOVE the market and prefer to shop at local bakeries and cheese shops than the big supermarkets, but the cost of clothes and shoes (I'll say Catanzaro, b/c I can't comment on the moms and pops in other places) were getting outrageous. There is also at least one "Mom and Pop" shoe store near my house that has a horrible reputation for claiming to sell namebrand shoes that they actually got from "the back of a van in Naples." If all things really were equal and/or the costs of shopping at the local stores were reasonable I would do it EVERY TIME. It was so frustrating a couple of years ago when I had to buy a new SUNDRESS for a wedding and spend over 200 euros for a dress that obviously wasn't worth it. :-( (You asked!) ;-) Hiya, Joe. I hate to be the odd-man out b/c in theory I agree with everything you and the commenters said. I still LOVE the market and prefer to shop at local bakeries and cheese shops than the big supermarkets, but the cost of clothes and shoes (I’ll say Catanzaro, b/c I can’t comment on the moms and pops in other places) were getting outrageous.

There is also at least one “Mom and Pop” shoe store near my house that has a horrible reputation for claiming to sell namebrand shoes that they actually got from “the back of a van in Naples.”

If all things really were equal and/or the costs of shopping at the local stores were reasonable I would do it EVERY TIME.

It was so frustrating a couple of years ago when I had to buy a new SUNDRESS for a wedding and spend over 200 euros for a dress that obviously wasn’t worth it.

:-(

(You asked!) ;-)

]]> By: anne http://italyville.com/2009/06/mom-pop-shops/#comment-1814 anne Thu, 25 Jun 2009 18:56:36 +0000 http://italyville.com/?p=787#comment-1814 I agree totally, Shopping malls rip the heart of places..here in my stall town in Oxfordshire, we had a huge supermarket built to replace there small one, and around it sort of a mall, it is horrible, and shops in town centre closing down, and as for a market, it is pathetic, all council rules apply, ...I love the sound of Casalba's vans coming around,, oh to have fresh fish, .. :-( I agree totally, Shopping malls rip the heart of places..here in my stall town in Oxfordshire, we had a huge supermarket built to replace there small one, and around it sort of a mall, it is horrible, and shops in town centre closing down, and as for a market, it is pathetic, all council rules apply, …I love the sound of Casalba’s vans coming around,, oh to have fresh fish, .. :-(

]]> By: casalba http://italyville.com/2009/06/mom-pop-shops/#comment-1811 casalba Thu, 25 Jun 2009 06:12:42 +0000 http://italyville.com/?p=787#comment-1811 We still have those vans in our village, Joe. Different wares on different days of the week. Today, the fruit & veg man will come - his own home grown produce, so it's seasonal too. My favourite is Wednesday, when the fishwives arrive. Their husbands are fishermen on the Adriatic - about 40 mins from us - and they sell what their husbands have caught that morning - so fresh the crustaceans are still moving. We still have those vans in our village, Joe. Different wares on different days of the week. Today, the fruit & veg man will come – his own home grown produce, so it’s seasonal too.

My favourite is Wednesday, when the fishwives arrive. Their husbands are fishermen on the Adriatic – about 40 mins from us – and they sell what their husbands have caught that morning – so fresh the crustaceans are still moving.

]]> By: Marla http://italyville.com/2009/06/mom-pop-shops/#comment-1810 Marla Wed, 24 Jun 2009 20:37:13 +0000 http://italyville.com/?p=787#comment-1810 I couldn't agree with you more. They put a big mall up here as well, but fortunately, it's the one that's struggling. The big downtown twice weekly market is still alive and well, thank god! It would be more than a shame if after 1,000 years in the same place a shining new mall put them out of business. Fortunately, everyone still likes to shop at the mercato, myself included. I couldn’t agree with you more. They put a big mall up here as well, but fortunately, it’s the one that’s struggling. The big downtown twice weekly market is still alive and well, thank god! It would be more than a shame if after 1,000 years in the same place a shining new mall put them out of business. Fortunately, everyone still likes to shop at the mercato, myself included.

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