Romano Anfossi, dean of Alessandria commerce: “The rules to encourage shopping”

A decalogue of rules to stick to, with discipline: this is the first step towards creating a cohesive retail team in the city.

It was the dean Romano Anfossi who opened the meeting which led to the appointment of Roberto Mutti as coordinator of the groups of merchants in Alessandria and its suburbssupported by Anfossi himself and Luisella Melchionni as deputy.

«We need new faces and fresh money – remarked Anfossi, after having complimented the Cristo district for the impulse given to the tertiary sector in recent years -. Then, two contact persons must be identified for each district, suburb or association of streets in the centre. We will find an operational headquarters (already identified in Palazzo Melchionni; ed.) and we will need to arrange meetings on a weekly basis. And again: a director, a secretariat, people who “trot” and roll up their sleeves are needed. My idea is that of well-defined tasks and short but, above all, long-term projects. A car must be set up perfectly to travel well, otherwise it’s a waste of time.”

The main concept is that of a calendar of events that does not contain overlaps. «In this way – said Cristina Mazzoni, from Spinetta -, if we promote something, the whole city spends itself on the suburb and also provides volunteers for the logistical aspects. We will reciprocate by sending “our” people downtown or to a neighborhood for other initiatives. This is collaboration.”

Words substantially shared by the thirty participants, even if there were some voices out of the chorus: for Tiziana Gualco, from via San Giacomo, «it wouldn’t be our job to organize: we work all day, we don’t have the time to take care of this and, out of hours, we would also have a private life.” But everything came together when it was specified that no individual will have enormous tasks.

Before being appointed coordinator, Roberto Mutti was trenchant with institutions and trade associations: «Are you there? And, if so, how much do you put on the plate?”.

Councilors Gianni Berrone and Vittoria Poggio, for the Municipality and Region, guaranteed full support, as did Alice Pedrazzi, for Ascom, and Enzo Cirimele, representing Confesercenti. Now, from words we will have to move on to facts.