Supermercato - Supermarket - as in UK with a wide range of goods - some imported items are available such as Nescafé, Weetabix and Cornflakes but most products will be produced in Italy. Not many cereals to be found as Italians don't eat cereals much. If buying bread in the supermarket make sure it is fresh as Italian bread dries up very quickly and soon becomes hard and dry.
Alimentari - smaller type of local grocery store carrying ‘basics’ and a small selection of delicatessen goods.
Paneficio - A bread shop where baking is done on the premises. Will also sell pasta in packets.
Pasteficio - Pasta shop making fresh pasta.
Farmacia - Chemist
Tabacchi - A tobacco shop - also sells salt (look out for SALE written over the door) and stamps.
Macelleria - Butchers
Pescheria - Fishmongers
Vineyards/Olive oil - look out for the sign ‘venditta diretta’ at the entrance to a vineyard - this indicates that wine is available on direct sale - there will be a winery where you can sample the wines and then buy by the bottle - some vineyards will dispense wine straight into your own containers directly form the barrel and this can be amazingly cheap. Extra-virgin olive oil is an excellent purchase - usually sold by the litre or half litre.
Some other useful bits and pieces
Shop opening hours - Most of the larger supermarkets stay open from 8.00am to 8.00pm including Saturdays. Some now have Sunday opening. Small supermarkets close from 1.00pm to 4.00 or 5.00pm.
Alimentari are usually open from 8.00am to 1.00pm and from 5.00pm to 8.00pm including Saturdays. In July and August many small alimentari are closed on Saturday afternoons.
Other shops selling clothes etc. - everything except food - will be open 9.00am to 1.00pm and 4.00pm to 8.00pm including Saturdays, also during the summer months.
At the coast and in larger cities shops also open on Sunday mornings during the season.