gran sasso gran shopping

[AllanMason]

Originally Posted by Bruno

With the wet weather we have been having the past few days we drove down to see the Gran Sasso today...

We, too, visited the Gran Sasso shopping centre yesterday, arriving there just before 6 pm.

Normally, when we've visited, it has been during the early afternoon on a weekday and we've almost had the place to ourselves. Yesterday, the covered car park was not far from being full and there was a steady stream of people up and down the escalators. What's more, almost everyone leaving was carrying at least one bag, so it seems the crowds were doing more than window shopping while the rain poured down.

As far as such places go, I agree that it's nice. It's certainly much lighter and airier than most shopping centres I've seen in Britain and Italy.

Interesting how there have been a few shops shut in the last year (the first anniversary is on 22 November), but they've managed to fairly quickly get new businesses into most of the vacant spaces. Those that are empty have big, colourful banners completely covering the empty shop-front, which I think is a very wise move as far as people's impression about how successful the place is.

Al

[Bunch]

I feel that in order to get to said "shopping centres" they need now to concentrate on the apalling state of the roads. I notice here in Abruzzo that some shopping centres have motor spares shops (and here is my point), they offer to fit tyres,exhausts, shock absorbers and springs!
Tyres wear out very rapidly because of the constant curves, hairpin bends and loose white roads, exhausts for when you tear yours off grounding your car on badly made and maintained roads, shock absorbers and springs...they have no need of speed bumps here.
So, the cost of your shopping has definately some hidden costs.
B

[adriatica]

bruno, the concept of the leclerc conad link up is that conad is a type of supermarket that often sources local materials in the food range... within the one at the gran sasso we can buy liquors that are produced in toricella, salamis and hams from a local place in castel castagna and just recently they had local wine tasting... plus the veg and meat can often be found to have local labels, there are local milk and those prepares salads ... i know in the vast scheme of things this is most probably not that significant... however it does help...

agree about the other shops being not very specific to the area... however though not a shopaholic i do find the place friendly,airy and non intimidating...

it also to my mind has very specific benefits in the sense that each parking space is clearly outlined with huge gaps between cars to allow doors to be opened easily... there is a child care centre set right in the middle near the entrance to allow you to leave children while you shop.... and the amount of public, often quite comfortable seating is seemingly plenty... it also does seem to have strong local ties in its method of management ... i mentioned a few weeks back that there was an art exhibition from the bellante area running all through the centre... and i believe it was designed in a way to make it both a social and commercial environment... hence the summer free cinema for children ... i guess if i visited more often i could list more.. but every time i do go there is something either on or being planned...

not sure about the rest of the shopping centres in abruzzo...but this one has no quick fit car centre.... so maybe a sign that either the roads are good or that the new buildings going up beside the main area are about to have an enterprising abruzzo person set up one soon...

have noticed also apart from having the cheapest fuel in the area and a self serve system that allows you to fill up and then pay a real person on the way out instead of those bank note machines that on one of the roundabouts there is a car hire place... might be useful for some.. no idea of name or costs... one day will pop in and find out...

anyway i am glad to see some positive comments on progressive works here... it sometimes gets a bit depressing reading adverse comments often of those that do not even live full time in Italy about hellish shopping centres and the natives should still be forced to pay high prices for delivered goods and wear quaint clothes with straw sticking out of there hair...maybe only be allowed to ride around on horse and cart...

my essential point is that we all need choices and if you continue past the shopping centre towards the coast...take the bellante turning and arrive at bellante stazione on the main road there is another of my favorite shopping places... run by farmers, food produced by local farmers and food of the highest quality including wine cheeses and meats.... plus an eating place and child play area...

http://www.italymag.co.uk/forums/eat...-bellante.html

to me this is a place of excellence and quality... but at a price... and not all people can afford to shop there every day...

[Gala Placidia]

I think that shopping centres are nowadays part of our way of life and that they provide a family outing under cover which is a help for many. Certainly, there are good and bad centres, the one you describe seems to be a very good one as it provides entertainment and interesting shopping and displays. The best I know in Tuscany is "Il Giglio", at Campo Bisenzio, near Florence. I go there as they have a Leroy Merlin store that always has all what we need for our DIY projects.
Shopping has changed a lot and it is increasingly difficult to find typical shops anywhere. In Lucca, there used to be a very elegant street to buy, "Via Fillungo", that many years ago used to concentrate all the artisans and crafts shops of high quality, you could get hand made shoes, handbags, clothes and linens.... well, nowadays there are only four or five of these shops left, the rest are occupied by top brands which continue the tradition of exclusive items, but not in the same manner. These are goods that you can find anywhere in the world if you can afford the prices. One exception: the old Café del Simo, where Puccini used to go. It is still there, with the same atmosphere and they serve the best coffee in Lucca and one of the very best in Italy.

[adriatica]

on the 23 rd December at the shopping centre is the Harlem gospel choir...starting their performance at 18.00 and its free.... its a lively version of carol singing for those that miss the UK version of children on the doorstep....