Two Greek firsts in one shot: Autumn Sales and retail shops open on Sunday. That’s the plan of Development Minister to boost the economy in the debt-ridden country. Autumn Sales start today and will last until November 9th 2013. At the same time, on Sunday, November 3rd shops will be open, for the first time in Greece.
On Sunday, November 3/2013 shops will be open in Athens 11 am – 6 pm.
And yet. 63% of trade associations say that they will not open their shops on Sunday. At the same time, merchants are forced to tag their products with four different prices, most probably because ‘bureaucracy’ is deep rooted in any Greek minister’s mind and soul:
a) the price before VAT
b) the price after VAT
c) the initial value
d) the price after discount
Why is that and how can the consumer profit? No, idea. Honestly. A friend suggested that the “price before and after VAT” could intrigue the consumer to ask an even better deal by avoiding to take a receipt. But I don’t think that this was in the mind of the minister. Honestly.
According to the National Confederation of Greek Commerce, an umbrella for 177 trade associations, 32% say that they will open their stores, 63% say that they will not, while 5% of the associations leave it on the merchants to decide whether they will open their shops on upcoming Sunday.
At the same time several associations of retail workers had said that they would launch a strike on this Sunday.
If you have no money to purchase goods, at least you can enjoy Sunday with a window shopping. Which you can do every Sunday 🙂
Shops will not be open every Sunday, though, due to strong reactions by retailers and merchants. Development Ministry had decided that shops will be open 7 Sundays per year.
Am I missing something? If the price after VAT ‘b)’ is what you are being asked to pay, surely that is the same as d) so only 3 prices needed.
i thought that too. however it was reported by several media here. nevertheless, I was around today, saw hardly real discount sales, -20E here and -25E there and thus on very few selected items on the shop window. And no 3 prices but just 2: before & after the sales. Retailers would be crazy if they do heavy discounts at the beginning of the season. maybe in Athens downtown it looks differently.