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Venice Supermarkets
ABOVE: Despar, in the renovated
Teatro Italia movie
theatre, may be the most elegant supermarket you'll ever visit. (If you stop to
take pictures, as many visitors do, try not to get in the way of shoppers.)
By Durant Imboden
Not so many years ago, Venice was a city of neighborhood alimentari or grocery
stores, cheese shops, meat markets, and produce vendors. Supermarkets were few
and far between.
Times have changed, and today you'll supermarkets in most of
Venice's sestieri or districts. That's bad news for traditionalists, but
it's good news if you're a foreign tourist who's intimidated by unfamiliar
shopping customs and language barriers.
Shopping at a supermarket
can be a time-saver when you're stocking the refrigerator of your vacation
apartment or browsing for snacks to keep in your hotel room. It also lets you
mingle with the locals in an everyday, real-life environment.
Of the supermarket chains in Venice,
one of our favorites is
Despar, which
had three stores the last time we checked: one near the railroad station that
caters mostly to tourists, another close to the Rialto Bridge, and its Venice flagship store
in a renovated cinema east of the Guglie Bridge on the main pedestrian
thoroughfare between the station and the Piazza San Marco.
Despar is the only supermarket in Venice with consistently good breads,
rolls, and pastries, which you can buy from plexiglass bins. (You'll need to
use plastic gloves when selecting items from the bulk bins. Use the scale
nearby to weigh your items, enter the appropriate stock number, and print a
tag. A few items are sold by number rather than weight. If that's the case,
a pop-up keypad will appear on the screen after you enter the item number,
and you can indicate how many items you're purchasing.)
Another popular chain is Coop, which has
more supermarkets in Venice than any of its competitors. The largest stores are
located just off the Piazzale Roma (near vaporetto platform "A") and on the
Strada Nova, not far from the Campo SS. Apostoli in Cannaregio.
Small and medium-size Coop or InCoop stores are scattered around the city center and on
the glassmaking island of Murano. Coop
(pronounced "Cope") is especially notable for its high-quality and
competitively-priced store brands.
Conad
has several stores in the centro storico and on the Lido di Venezia.
Two of the biggest are on the Zattere, facing the Giudecca Canal in Dorsoduro,
and another in the far northwestern reaches of Cannaregio, where you'll find
what may be the biggest and least crowded supermarket in Venice.
Other supermarket brands in
central Venice include Punto (with stores in
the San Marco area and the Campo Santa Margherita), Prix (a discount chain with
a handful of neighborhood stores), and
Crai (with two Venice locations, including a large store on the Calle dei
Fabbri near the Piazza San Marco).
Supermarket shopping tips:
-
When buying produce, you'll often need to put on a disposable plastic
glove, fill a plastic bag, and weigh the bag on an electronic scale that has
icons representing various fruits and vegetables or--in some cases--product
numbers. Select the icon or enter the product number, click "OK, wait for the scale to
print a price label, then stick the label on the plastic bag.
Some stores have a similar system for unpackaged rolls, breads, and pastries. If the product is sold by the
item, rather than by weight, a secondary virtual keypad will pop up on the
screen. Just enter the number of items and click "OK" to print a label.
-
At deli counters (or in
independent meat and dairy shops), you buy cold cuts and cheeses by the etto or 100 grams,
which is just under a quarter of a pound. For example, if you want 200 grams of prosciutto,
point at the ham and ask for "due etti."
-
It's usually simpler to pay by credit card than with cash. (Italian store
clerks often have a fetish for exact change, and it's easier to just present
your credit card than to rummage around looking for one- or two-cent coins.)
-
Newer supermarkets have self-service checkouts in addition to the usual
checkout lines. When a store is busy and you're buying just a few items, it
may be quicker to use the automated checkout. You can pay with a credit
card, banknotes, or coins, and the machines issue change.
-
Supermarket shopping hours vary, although nearly all stores are open
every day of the week. Neighborhood stores may close at 8:30 or 9 p.m.,
while stores in busy locations such as the Zattere or Strada Nova are
usually open until 9:30 or 10 p.m.
-
If you dislike crowds and get frazzled by long supermarket
lines, try to avoid shopping during the evening rush.
-
Pets are supposed to be left outside the store or in the store lobby, but
don't be surprised if you see the occasional shopper with a small dog in a
basket or tucked into a jacket.
-
If you have a tote or shopping bag, take it with you to the supermarket. (Bags
are usually available at the cashier for a small fee.)
-
Finally, a handful of supermarkets (such as Despar) require you to scan
your register receipt to leave the store. Keep your receipt handy after
you've paid, and hold the receipt's barcode against the infrared
scanner at the exit gate. The gate will then open to let you out.
