½ûÂþÌìÌÃ

Yes, Postal Market. You can buy copies at big newsstands or bookshops. Its an annual . I've never bought anything through it but lots of my neighbors get it.

[QUOTE=alex and lyn]Does Italy have the large catalogues which cover clothes and household stuff, similar to Gratten, Freemans,Kays, Great Universal etc. ?[/QUOTE]
yes,as said ,there is "Postal Market"(rather down market) and thats about it there used to be "Vestro", which is huge in France, but it went out of business here.it would take too long to explain why postal sales have never been successful in italy (and i do know all about it) What is left (briefly)is the choice between hyper market (centri commerciali) up and low market department stores (COIN and RINASCENTE are excellent maybe they'll be in Bari) STANDA and UPIM and OVIESSE are middle to down market but there are more of them.Then it's down to specialist shops,boutiques etc there are even shops for oversize in major towns/cities after that there's the market.
Looks like you'll have to get out to find these places and be sure you'd have to go to Bari for some things...

[url]www.bonprix-shop.com[/url]

Have no idea of the quality but looks similar to something like Freemans/Gratten...have ordered a few bits ...will let you know what it is like.
I think I know why the Mail Order system doesn't work Sebastiano !!!! I have ordered loads of stuff in the past from E-bay, Amazon etc.and my son regularly sends stuff over, all to my Fermo Posta address with no problem. Without exception , every ½ûÂþÌìÌà Company I have tried to order from have queried the idea of sending stuff to the Post Office ! I find this amazing as surely it is more likely people 'in campagna' would use Mail Order for convenience ...and how come these ½ûÂþÌìÌà Firms seem unfamiliar with the S/N ( senza Numero ) concept.....surely this is all over Italy and not just in the South :confused:
Still we got there in the end...and the order is on its' way......hopefully ! ;)