Depopulation and supermarkets are reshaping Via Garibaldi. Where there were 25 neighborhood stores 30 years ago, only one grocery store remains: a historic shop, opened between 1988 and 1989 and still run by Gabriele Bianchi.
“Over the years,” Bianchi notes, “the customer base has changed. At first, my customers were almost all residents of the surrounding area. Today, both because the number of residents has decreased and because many choose to shop at the supermarket, the store is also frequented by residents from other areas—for example, from the Lido di Venezia—as well as many tourists.”
The change in clientele, however, has not affected the shop’s offerings: “People who come to stores like mine,” explains Bianchi, “are looking for quality, and I treat locals the same as I do tourists or foreigners living in the city. For example, there’s a Swiss woman who’s been vacationing in Venice for 20 years and stops by my store every year, or a man of French origin who’s lived on Giudecca for a long time and comes to shop with me every week because he believes he can’t find the same quality in other stores closer to home. “The trust my customers place in me is a source of satisfaction for the service I provide.” The quality of Bianchi’s offerings is also attested to by the numerous certifications from Slow Food Italia that the grocer has received over the years.
Among the products most appreciated by visitors from abroad are certainly cured meats and cheeses: “I’ve been told,” says the grocer, “that in some countries, 100 grams of high-quality prosciutto costs the equivalent of 12 euros. When they discover that here, for the same or even better quality, they can spend significantly less, they’re more than happy.” He adds: “My store is now one of the most photographed.”
A store that remains open in the mornings and afternoons even during slower periods and despite the high temperatures: “On summer afternoons, customers are few and far between,” says Bianchi, “but precisely because I believe this business is a service to the community, I’ve decided to keep it open anyway.”
Faced with the drastic decline in neighborhood stores on this street—as well as throughout the rest of the historic center—the grocer laments the lack of support: “We have no protection from either the city government or trade associations. The only thing we can do is hang in there.” Meanwhile, however, Bianchi is nearing retirement, and his store is also at risk of closing: “Right now, I alternate shifts with my daughter, but I don’t know if she’ll take over the store. Unfortunately, I don’t have any other assistants because young people show no interest in this kind of business and don’t understand the spirit of sacrifice involved. Some young people who contacted me in the past demanded Saturdays off and a certain number of vacation days. I’ve even had assistants who wouldn’t open the shop, claiming they ‘didn’t hear the alarm.’ This,” Bianchi concludes, “is a job that requires a lot of patience.”
C.I.D. s.r.l. Società a Socio Unico – Casa editrice del settimanale Gente Veneta – CF e PI 02341300271 – REA: VE – 211669 – Capitale Sociale 31.000 euro i.v. – Dorsoduro,1 – 30123 Venezia
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