Urban food markets in Rome

Urban food markets and farmers’ markets in Rome, currently offer food and non-food products that can mainly be defined as authentic. They also host several public services for resident customers. Most of these markets are declining, showing resistance to necessary changes and a scarce ability to adapt their offer to a more dynamic demand. Besides management-related motivations, structural obstacles which feed the losing managerial choices in a vicious circle exist. As evidence of this, it has been noticed that the most successful markets are those offering experiences (i.e. immersive purchase experience, street-food availability) different from the ones proposed by their direct competitors (i.e. the large-organized distribution). In order to reevaluate the urban food markets of Rome – taking into consideration their ubiquitous distribution and the importance of the vendors as expression of the local traditions – we foresee the need to run several activities that can animate the markets during times when they are not being used today, involving different groups of potential users, for instance for educational purposes. Another needed action for the thriving of urban food markets is the process of digitalization; this would help in making the information more transparent for clients and in widening the relationship between vendors and customers over the physical space represented by the walls of the structure.