District markets at risk of closure if services are not improved

And this is because the management of fresh and very fresh products - from the leading segment that is fruit and vegetables to meat and fish products - requires consolidated expertise in the management of logistics, the cold chain, hygiene of locations, transport and deliveries. 'We are facing a major challenge,' the president of Italmercati goes on to explain, 'in which the 'big sick person' is the retail trade. And in this area the small district markets are in great difficulty, as they are in danger of disappearing'.

When talking about the revitalisation and enhancement of local markets, many people think ofthe experiences of Barcelona or Paris, which have long since become established tourist destinations. 'Some can repeat that path in Italy too,' says Pallottini, 'I am thinking of cities like Rome, Milan, Florence, Bologna. But tourism is not our target. Instead, we want to strengthen the frequency of Italian consumers, of families. And to do this we need a quality leap in management, in management. Today, on the other hand, local markets are still managed according to municipal rules that are often outdated and no longer adapted to reality. The spaces are still entrusted on the basis of calls for tenders and then no one checks whether the assignees actually start their activities or not'.

According to the Italmercati project, the cornerstone of the management of district markets must become the service content for the consumer. "Without in any way detracting from the street food experiences in markets," explains Pallottini, "but when we talk about service we think first of all about flexibility in opening hours. Today the markets are mainly open in the morning and are therefore frequented mainly by pensioners. People who work would need extended hours. Let them be open in the afternoon. And theafternoon opening requires extra staff but also new supply slots because the goods put on sale in the morning are likely to be sold out by lunchtime'.

But service content mainly concerns the type of goods offered for sale. "What is to prevent vegetables already cleaned and washed or fish products already filleted, cleaned or offered in hamburger form from being offered for sale? There is a range of possibilities to be explored in terms of preparations and ready meals which, if offered, could change the relationship of district markets with the public but also with the audience of small restaurants and perhaps even large retailers. And then, once the opening hours have been extended, making the markets accessible to a wider audience, it is essential to organise a single home delivery service even if a consumer has purchased several products at different stalls. It sounds trivial but nobody has thought of it yet'.