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Italy is one of the worst countries for business, consistently so in every study and list made about it. Starbucks ( ! ) just opened its first ( ! ) and only (

Italy is one of the worst countries for business, consistently so in every study and list made about it. Starbucks ( ! ) just opened its first ( ! ) and only ( ! ) store in Rome a few months ago. It goes the same for most popular world chains. You'll find UNIQLO in France or Spain, forget about Italy. If you want to be in a place forever frozen in the seventies, go to Italy.

ananiochita 4y ago
For the downvoters, please provide an explanation based in facts about Italy. You probably take the statements above as an insult, but it is a description of reality ( -- some might in fact like to find a place that doesn't change much or is relatively isolated from globalization and wouldn't take this as a negative thing ). You only need to ask an Italian or anyone who has spent a significant amount of time in the country. I have, a solid decade in total, between the 70s, the 80s, the early 00s, and recently a considerable amount of time during the pandemic. I don't speak from hearsay or try to be offensive.
- hansvm 4y ago
  > For the downvoters, please provide a rationale for why you don't like my thoughts that aligns with my thought process. Your grandparent comment seems fine enough, but I highly doubt you're going to convince anyone to engage with a defense to the contrary. Conversations about voting are already discouraged, people tend not to reply to this sort of thing, and even if they wanted to the way you've framed it sounds like there's no way to change your mind, so the rest of the people who might've attempted to explain their qualms probably won't bother with a seemingly futile effort. If you rephrased the question in a way that didn't suggest you're correct ahead of time and in a way that doesn't talk about voting I suspect you'd have a lot higher success rate. I haven't tested that yet, so caveat emptor, but I'd wager a nickel or two that in right about that anyway.
- kop316 4y ago
  > For the downvoters, please provide an explanation based in facts about Italy. I would offer you would get less downvotes if you cited statistics or verified third party info?
ichicoro 4y ago
I think you're being downvoted because you're wrong and you're being smug about it. >Starbucks ( ! ) just opened its first ( ! ) and only ( ! ) store in Rome a few months ago. Uhm, there's 7 (according to Google Maps) in Milan, 2 in Turin, and at least two more someplace else (one being in Rome). Additionally, 1 of the 7 Starbucks in Milan is the only "Starbucks Roastery" in Europe. >It goes the same for most popular world chains. You'll find UNIQLO in France or Spain, forget about Italy. There's a UNIQLO store in Milan.
- ananiochita 4y ago
  I did not know that there is a UNIQLO store in Milan ( 2019 apparently ), thanks for correcting me. The general point stands. I wrote that there is ONE Starbucks, just opened in 2022 in ROME and that's literally a fact, I can see where you might misinterpret my sentence -- I was speaking of Rome. I do mention this is the third capital of the EU and in a G7 country and this is unusual, Starbucks being what it is. And yes, half a dozen more in all of Italy, again, proving the point. There are more in a single city in many other EU countries. There's a dozen of them in and around Vienna, a much smaller capital also with a great tradition of coffeeshops, for comparison. But a place with much less aversion than Italy to foreign businesses. I am not smug or care for karma / rewards / validation. I care for truth and not taking facts as opinions.

ananiochita 4y ago

For the downvoters, please provide an explanation based in facts about Italy. You probably take the statements above as an insult, but it is a description of reality ( -- some might in fact like to find a place that doesn't change much or is relatively isolated from globalization and wouldn't take this as a negative thing ). You only need to ask an Italian or anyone who has spent a significant amount of time in the country. I have, a solid decade in total, between the 70s, the 80s, the early 00s, and recently a considerable amount of time during the pandemic. I don't speak from hearsay or try to be offensive.

hansvm 4y ago
> For the downvoters, please provide a rationale for why you don't like my thoughts that aligns with my thought process. Your grandparent comment seems fine enough, but I highly doubt you're going to convince anyone to engage with a defense to the contrary. Conversations about voting are already discouraged, people tend not to reply to this sort of thing, and even if they wanted to the way you've framed it sounds like there's no way to change your mind, so the rest of the people who might've attempted to explain their qualms probably won't bother with a seemingly futile effort. If you rephrased the question in a way that didn't suggest you're correct ahead of time and in a way that doesn't talk about voting I suspect you'd have a lot higher success rate. I haven't tested that yet, so caveat emptor, but I'd wager a nickel or two that in right about that anyway.
kop316 4y ago
> For the downvoters, please provide an explanation based in facts about Italy. I would offer you would get less downvotes if you cited statistics or verified third party info?

ichicoro 4y ago

I think you're being downvoted because you're wrong and you're being smug about it. >Starbucks ( ! ) just opened its first ( ! ) and only ( ! ) store in Rome a few months ago. Uhm, there's 7 (according to Google Maps) in Milan, 2 in Turin, and at least two more someplace else (one being in Rome). Additionally, 1 of the 7 Starbucks in Milan is the only "Starbucks Roastery" in Europe. >It goes the same for most popular world chains. You'll find UNIQLO in France or Spain, forget about Italy. There's a UNIQLO store in Milan.

ananiochita 4y ago
I did not know that there is a UNIQLO store in Milan ( 2019 apparently ), thanks for correcting me. The general point stands. I wrote that there is ONE Starbucks, just opened in 2022 in ROME and that's literally a fact, I can see where you might misinterpret my sentence -- I was speaking of Rome. I do mention this is the third capital of the EU and in a G7 country and this is unusual, Starbucks being what it is. And yes, half a dozen more in all of Italy, again, proving the point. There are more in a single city in many other EU countries. There's a dozen of them in and around Vienna, a much smaller capital also with a great tradition of coffeeshops, for comparison. But a place with much less aversion than Italy to foreign businesses. I am not smug or care for karma / rewards / validation. I care for truth and not taking facts as opinions.