Neither season discounts nor special "price surprise" could make the Greeks enter the shops this summer. The season of summer sales is at its end and the conclusions of the Confederation of Hellenic Commerce are discouraging. The market turnover fell on average by 25%, in some areas even by 65% instead of rising. 8 out of 10 retailers confirmed drop in turnover, 2 out of 10 said it remained at last year’s levels. The trend is strongest in the sale of clothing and shoes.
You can see the changes with a naked eye. Shoppers frantically wandered about the shops until last year to buy their favourite goods. Full bags are definitely lacking yhis year. The sellers say that the usual crowds of people are gone. Now a man enters here and there. The customers are low-spirited, hesitant to buy and think longer. Even the discounts reaching 70% can not tempt them buy. The fact that they are 7% to 8% higher than in the past, when the drop in turnover was lower and accounted for 22% to 24%, is ridiculous.
Shopkeepers and the people working in the shops are desperate for the future of their business. “People have no money, but they are also scared,” explains Amalia – a saleswoman in apparel and shoes shop in the center of Athens. “Our summer discounts did not increase the turnover. The problem is really serious. We intend to keep prices low and then find some other place because the rent here is very high and if things don’t change we will not be able to bear the economic burden,” says the seller. Her husband also worked in a shop but is currently unemployed because the shop closed due to lack of turnover. “People were more relaxed to shop the last year. Now, even if they see one euro bracelet they will not take it. Then, they would ask: How much is it? Is it 10 euros? Leave it, it’s crisis now. There is a trend to bargain. They say, for example: “This bracelet costs 1 euro, give me 3 for 2 euros ...” But I also think Greeks do not buy lately because they have had enough of material goods. Even I have a lot of things, when I think. Many garments, many shoes. We were not thinking in the past years and we were constantly buying. Now there is a pause. But I still hope that because people do not shop this year, they will do this at least the next year.”
The conclusions of the owner of the Finetsa shop are pessimistic too: “The drop in turnover is very high. So many shops closed this summer. We haven’t had enough of material goods, we do not have enough money. People lost their jobs, they have no money for food, let alone clothes. It was different the last summer. Most of the people had money in their pockets, they went out to see and shop. Now they don’t even go out to see. To see what?” he said. “We do not know what to do. The people in the shop are very worried. Personally, I do not think I can do anything. My age is such that it is difficult. You understand, don’t you? It is difficult to make changes at some ages. If I was younger I would certainly start another business. But now I do not know what to do. People at the age of 45 and up find themselves in deadlock. And even if I sell the goods at reduced prices I know that nothing will change because people simply do not have money ... When our turnover dropped in the beginning we thought that the problem was psychological. We thought people were afraid that things would get worse and did not want to risk and they will start to shop later. Nothing like that happens, however,” the retailer complained.
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