Supermarkets in Rome and Florence

are there good size supermarkets in these cities to get other foods<<

Yes, of course

use Google maps- put in your apartment address then search nearby for "supermarket".

Christine I did. But I wasn't sure the size of these supermarkets and if they are comparable to the convenient marts we have in the US. Have you been to either of these cities? Do you know?

The size of grocery stores vary within large cities. Often they'll have grocery stores with two floors. They are there, however.

As David says some are big some are small
Not knowing exactly where you are staying can’t help anymore than that but the supermarkets in Europe are not much different than in USA

This might be if help I just searched for supermarkets in Florence
https://www.amoitaly.com/firenze/supermarket.html

Italians shop eat and cook every day pretty much just like Americans do

Often what I do is look up my inn location on google maps and then query (use "nearby") for markets/grocery stores. If you are in city centers, I'm not sure I'd expect huge supermarkets, but there would have to be something. I've already done this for Florence. I'm staying close to the Mercato Centrale which I'm pretty excited about, but I also have at least 3 groceries stores within a 1/2 mile or so from where I'm staying.

The chain supermarkets in central Rome appear to have the same prices, whether large or small. In Florence I haven't run across anything approaching a supermarket. I have found that the groceries in Oltrarno (the "other" side of the river) are cheaper.

Just returned from our Italy trip which included Florence and Rome. We stayed in the Oltrarno area of Florence and there was a large Conad grocery store very close to the Ponte Vecchio that we frequented. During my shopping I had chosen several items that were marked on sale but cashier wouldn’t apply discount since I didn’t have loyalty card or could prove I was a resident. Overall saved a ton of money by eating some meals in the apartment and stocking up on beer, wine, soda, fruit, and snacks. In Rome there were Carrefour Express grocery stores all over. Good selection there as well. We did eat out one meal per day which ran 40-50 € for the 3 of us, And of course you need a gelato budget. We found the Frigidarium in Rome to be cheapest with largest portions.

Huge/giant supermarkets like we have everywhere in the US are on the outskirts of the cities in Europe (like in large cities here, you won't find giant supermarkets in midtown Manhattan for example). But there are markets that are much larger than a 'convenient mart' type place. Often they are somewhat 'hidden' in that from the outside they look quite small, but once inside they are on multiple floors and pretty big with good selections. Of course there are also really tiny ones, but the type I think you will find useful are certainly there - but point is they may not at first appear as such.

COOP seems to be a large chain in Italy. That’s where we shopped when we stayed in Greve. When you check in to your apartment, I’m sure they can direct you to the nearest grocery store.

We just returned from a trip to France and London. We rented an apartment in Loches and did just what you plan to do. Market day was Wednesday and Saturday and we bought fresh vegetables, cheese and meat from the vendors. It was a lot less expensive than eating out every meal.

In Florence, I think the Sant'Ambrogio Market has nicer and cheaper fresh items than the Central Market (ground floor), not that the items at the Central Market are bad. The outside food vendors at Sant'Ambrogio vary somewhat from day-to-day, so if you don't see a desired item one day you might find it the next. In the center, I find the Conad supermarkets the best. Conad (small), Conad City (large) and Sapori & Dintori (medium) are all part of the Conad brand. Carrefour Express supermarkets (medium) in the center are also good. There are also some very nice Super Coop supermarkets (large) just outside the center. The Esselunga supermarkets (large) are imo nicest and less expensive than the others, but they're generally located in residential neighborhoods and so less convenient to reach. The up-and-coming Pam supermarkets in the center are decent but small. The Despar supermarkets (small) are just OK. I would avoid the Crai chain of markets (mini or small) which are imo horrible, especially the one on Piazza San Lorenzo.

I'm less familiar with Rome supermarkets, but you should find generally the same chains. I'm not aware of any good food markets in Rome, but there must be some.

Edit: The Super COOP and Esselunga supermarkets are the closest to US supermarkets, large with a good selection of items, but they're a bus or taxi ride away from most apartments in central Florence. The largest supermarket I'm aware of in the center is the Conad City on Via Pietrapiana, a few blocks from Piazza Santa Croce. It's super crowded around 4:30-6:30 when people are stopping to pick up items on the way home, so avoid it then.

In Florence, we stayed at an apartment near Santa Maria Novella, and frequented the CONAD grocery chain near the train station, but be advised that these are not US-style 'grocery chain' stores. It's as if they squash what they want to sell into whatever logistical space they have. Narrow, rabbit-warren lanes. Did the same in Rome, and found more mom-and-pop type operations rather than chains. Still packed to the gills, however. Nevertheless, you can get anything you need. OMG, at the Rome store, a tiny deli counter with no less than ten kinds of prosciutto and speck, 6-7 long slices for about 4 Euro. Oft times, that was part our daily breakfasts.

Which lends to the more important question--you say you want to save by cooking & eating in. We thought the same thing on our second of three trips, our first utilizing apartments, which if you pick the right one are wonderful and the way to go in my opinion. And by trial & error what we found worked famously for us--and saved money in the long run--was to shop at these stores (or at outdoor markets) for coffee, cheese, meats, fruits, bread, water, condiments. This would take care of our breakfasts, maybe lunches if we decided to picnic. If we didn't picnic, however, there was always--especially in Florence or Rome--a 'take-away' panini stand nearby, with magnificent sandwiches usually dirt-cheap in the 3-4 Euro range.

Although we did do a sit-down lunch about a third of the time, we'd always make dinner plans. We had to frankly make personal time-clock adjustments for an 8:00 or 8:30 dinner (that's when many of the restaurants open for dinner), but that late afternoon downtime, when we were back at the apartment from touring, tired and dozing or reading and catching up on EMails, were some of my favorite times of the day. Take it easy, chill out. Prepare for an upcoming great meal. When do we do that here in the States? That's right--never.

So for the one meal of the day eating out--and there's no reason to splurge in either Florence or Rome--we could easily find a trattoria or ristorante that could serve us a appetizer to share, 2 pasta courses, 2 entrees, a shared dessert, and 1/2 carafe of house wine in the 50-60 Euro range total. No more than that, sometimes less, for a fantastic meal.

Counting our groceries, we would routinely stay under 100 Euro a day for food (for the two of us), and that would include the occasional espresso while walking around for usually 1.00-1.25 Euro, or gelato in the 2-3 Euro range. My friends almost don't believe me when I say I can eat in those two cities cheaper than I can do it here.

Enjoy your planning, Meri!

Jay brings up a good point about eating out. I think eating dinner at a local trattoria or a piazza or wherever is just part of the Italian experience.

We always look for hotels that offer a big bkft- not fans of the Italian sweet bkft and coffee- I need my protein in the am so I eat as much as I possibly can at bkft- cold meats, cheeses, fruit/sometimes veggies, bread, eggs etc. That holds me for a long time. We like to picnic so we often shop for a jar of peanut butter and jelly- yes we like it and it doesn’t need refrigeration. I make a few PB &Js, grab fresh fruit at a market and we are out for the day- we can stop and eat whenever we are hungry.
We have our gelato in the afternoon so no need for dessert with our dinner. although we’ve been known to have a 2nd gelato as we head home for the night!

As we are wandering around we check out restaurants- look at menus, take pics of the menu and name of restaurant that looks interesting then when we are back in our room we can check reviews and decide where we will have dinner. We do also pick up snacks- nuts, olives, cheese, crackers, wine or beer and have a big snack around 5 before we head out again to enjoy the evening. We are late diners at home so waiting til 8:30 is not a problem for us.
I’d rather be sitting in a cafe on a lovely piazza having a glass of wine before dinner watching the evening activity-the passeggiata- than cooped up in an apartment preparing my own dinner.

Sometimes we just feel like having a burger- there is nothing better than a Chiannina beef burger which you should be able to find in Florence easily.

Sometimes a big slice of pizza is all we need for dinner.

You do not need to order all the courses- we usually get a primi OR a secondi each, maybe a salad or starter each and bottle of wine. Sometimes dessert but not always. Our food budget tends to run under 80 euros per day for the 2 of us.

You might find it is more expensive and time consuming to cook all your meals at apartment- unless the apartment is stocked with staples and seasonings you are spending money on those items as well.

My friends almost don't believe me when I say I can eat in those two cities cheaper than I can do it here.<<

Same.
We just spent 2.5 days in NYC with our daughter and her boyfriend- brunch for 4 came to $150, tapas and drinks after a show for 4 was close to $200. Lunch and 2 beers at a pub for 2 of us was $70. I was missing my PB&J!

Gosh. I am really grateful to you all for the great tips! It is exactly what I was looking for.
In Rome we are near the Pantheon. In Florence near the Ponte Vecchio. I did a search and saw such places that you all mentioned, like Conad and Coops. I just wanted to make sure we can get the types of things beyond an outdoor market and a US convenient store. We are on a special diet and don't do sugar or much carbs (I know Italian yummy pasta and gelato). So I plan to cook lots of roasted veggies, salads, meats and cheeses etc. But we made need extras like; dairy, eggs, spices small amounts, cleaning things for dishes, things for a kitchen to cook, etc.
You all have confirmed our paln to get a taxi to one of these places nearest to us.
I appreciate the feedback from you all.
Thanks so much!

Since you'll be near the Ponte Vecchio, there's a small morning market many days in Piazza Santo Spirito where you can buy fresh vegetables and fruit from local farmers. Occasionally there's a cheese stand. There's less selection than at the larger markets, but it all looks to be of good quality.

You shouldn't have any problem finding those items. The apartment may have some already- cleaning products, toilet paper, etc.
You can get spices in any amount you want at the markets. For example Mercado Centrale in Florence and Campo De'Fiori in Rome both sell spices in bulk.

There is a Carrefour Express SuperMarket very near the Pantheon-it's about a 3 min walk, probably no need to take a taxi!
Bring your own shopping bags- I imagine the apartment might have some
Via Monterone, 5, 00186 Roma RM, Italy

There are several CONAD and Carrefour locations all within a few min walk of Ponte Vecchio.
Taxis would be a hassle because of the pedestrianized zones there.

90% of the items found in a large suburban supermarket you'll never buy or even look at. You'll be surprised at how well you can cope with a much smaller urban grocery store.

I stayed solo for a week in Florence in an AirBnB apartment. I bought things for breakfast, and then some stuff for sandwiches. I mostly went to the local Carrefour express. I'd make eggs and toast for my breakfast, then stop off for a cappucino on my way to wherever. I'd usually eat lunch out. If I was too tired after the day's site-seeing, then I just made a quick sandwich for supper. Otherwise, I went out to a nearby restaurant for dinner. A few times, I bought a ready-made meal at the market and then just heated it up in the microwave. Good for you to do some of your own grocery shopping and cooking! It helps save money and it's just fun to to go the grocery store. Also, consider bringing your own shopping bag to take your items home. They'll have the plastic bags, but will most likely charge you for them.

Visit a local Salumeria. There is one with a good reputation near the Pantheon; I prefer one southeast of Campo de'Fiori, Roscioli. Look for the giant salami (not plastic like the giant donut in LA, but a real really giant salami). I also like the Antico Forno Roscioli where hot and cold food is available to eat in and take away, and all the fixings. Near the Smeraldo Hotel annex.

You may prefer these sorts of places over supermarkets after you have the basics.

Neither City allows the construction of “big box” supermarkets in their historical centers.
To find American style large supermarkets you would need to venture outside the city center where your apartments are located.
All you can find in the historical centers is small shops or rather small supermarkets (I would call them “mini” markets), not much larger than the size of a typical 7/11 or a Trader Joe’s in America.
In Florence, if you stay in the Oltrarno, near Ponte Vecchio, on Via De’ Bardi, there is a decent size mini market part of the Conad franchise called SAPORI E DINTORNI (literally Flavors & Surroundings”) which has a lot of gourmet foods and is well stocked. It’s a bit upscale (like a mini Whole Foods) and maybe not as cheap as a COOP hyper supermarket in the outskirts, but definitely cheaper than any American supermarket and only a few steps from Ponte Vecchio, therefore you can walk to it.

Do consider the cost of shopping, cooking and cleaning-up time as opposed to grabbing inexpensive sandwiches, fruit or pizza slices from the small markets or street vendors. The trade-off in cost - consider sightseeing time in $ - may not be as beneficial as you might think. :O)

Thanks again to all of you! I am taking good notes from each of your posts.
I am so excited and hungry just thinking of the delicious foods!
My Guy and I are on this special long term diet, partially for medical reasons, so this was a big reason for eating in. We do plan to eat out and focus on salads and sauteed veggies, and a protein. I am just a little nervous about being a burden asking for all these food modifications and also not mastering the language. (I am taking lessons and plan to learn certain phrases).
So we definitely will try it out. Other wise if we were eating normal it would be a whole different trip!
Thanks, Grazie Mille!

You'll be happy to hear that Italy has become very good with food allergies and dietary restrictions. Almost every menu we looked at recently had a full page of what was dairy free, gluten free, nut free etc.
It would be nice to know some Italian but honestly so many speak some English you should be able to communicate your needs pretty easily.

While in Florence be sure to try Fiorentina Bistecca for your daily protein, if that is allowed on your diet. It is to die for.

Hopefully you are allowed gelato?

In Florence, those staying in Oltrarno can consider a walk to Esselunga in via Pisana at Piazza Pier Vettori, a mid-size supermarket. From the Alamanni stop at SMN railway station, Esselunga at Novoli, a very large supermarket by Italian standards, is about 10 minutes by T2 tram; the Ponte a Greve Coop shopping mall, 15 minutes by T1 tram.

How big is the fridge? You may not need a supermarket. If Italy is anything like Spain, the smaller downtown stores are pretty well kitted out...not like US confenience stores. Remember city people still have to shop and not all have cars so pop around the corner to the Carrefour or similar. They even have a nice variety of dairy and gluten free options.
Depending on your restrictions, it may be a little challenging to order food like ordering a latte....they take pride in their food, cooking and menu. They might be able to do it for you, but it might not be the positive experience hoped for. You can sus out specialty stores and restaurants via happycow dot net. It has been around for about as long as the world wide web and is global. And check restaurant online menus prior to arrival.