This paper forms part of an OECD project which addressed the issue of the structure and change in the distribution systems of seven OECD countries.

The paper discusses the role of distribution systems in the Italian economy and gives an overview of the transformation of the Italian distribution system in the 1970s and 1980s. In particular, it analyses the effects of the Law 426/71 on the evolution of the retail sector. Finally, it addresses the questions of structure and performance of the distribution system and their implications for welfare and competition ...