The Rome city council, the confederation of shop keepers and retailing associations have joined forces once again to offer Romans a basket of 60 food items at specially-reduced prices. The products in the basket include staples such as meat, fish, sugar, coffee, olive oil and bread. This year 42 sports-equipment shops are taking part in a separate offer, with track suits, shorts, socks and gym shoes reduced by as much as 20 per cent. Shops and markets all over the city have joined the campaign, which will run from 1 October until the end of November.

From 16 October, the Centro Agroalimentare di Roma, Car, the general market selling fruit and vegetables at Tenuta dei Cavaliere between the Via Tiburtina and the A24 motorway, will be open to the general public on Friday afternoons from 13.00-19.00, but shoppers will have to buy whole boxes of fruit and vegetables. For a full list of the shops and markets taking part in the Roman special offers see www.romaspendebene.com.