Italy: The Yankee Marketeers

With all the glitter and glamour, it might have been the premiere of a new Fellini film. Row after row of limousines pulled up, cameras clicked on all sides, and the chic, smartly dressed guests sipped Scotch and martinis as they ogled a pop art exhibition that included plastic turkeys, fish, steaks and a display of Andy Warhol's stacked Brillo Boxes. There were roughly 500 Ibs. of real food per person—and no wonder. The bash that brought out Rome's smart set last week was the opening of Italy's largest supermarket, a two-story, 33,000-sq.-ft. expanse within sight of St. Peter's...