Italy fruit stand

A new project set up by Rome Wholesale Market in conjunction with the Lazio branch of Italian farming organisation Coldiretti is reportedly enabling the city's local markets to order fresh fruit and vegetables from the centre online and save as much as 20 per cent on the cost of products they buy.

According to the Italian news agency Ansa, ordering via the internet is enabling some retailers to save as much as 30 per cent on the cost of transport, supply and distribution, which may lead to a decrease in prices at the point of sale.

Following the successful launch of the project, which currently involves 10 local markets across Rome, the scheme is set to be extended to a larger number of operators and wholesalers.

'We are aiming to give everyone the opportunity to use the service, with the introduction of orders via telephone, and to extend the project across the whole of Italy,' commented Massimo Pallotini, president of the Rome Wholesale Market's management company CarGest.