Greek retailers imperatively demand the reopening of the market warning that the two-month lockdown is threatening their existence. With shops shut down, revenue losses reportedly 100-120 million euros per day. The click away during the holiday season may have helped some market sectors and for a short time, however, revenues sank by 70% that is some 2 billion euros.
Retailers have been telling media that while their shops are shut down for over two months now, their expenses and obligations remain. Many said that they will have to close their businesses if the situation continues. Others said that they have been keeping all protection measures, anyway, since the first lockdown was lifted in last May.
Especially the small retailers in neighborhoods have suffered from the long lockdown, but also businesses with e-shops came under pressure as the courier services were and still are unable to cope with the high demand.
TV channels reports showed many empty stores abandoned by the previous leasers on once prominent shopping streets in downtown Athens.
With retailers’ pressure mounting, the Development Ministry is currently reportedly reviewing the option to permit again the “click away” service and in addition also to allow “click in shop” for clothing, shoes and jewelry stores.
The Development and Investments Ministry has reacted positively to a proposal by retailers for reopening on the “click in shop” method, head of the Hellenic Confederation of Commerce and Entrepreneurship (ESEE) Giorgos Karanikas said on Monday after a meeting with minister Adonis Georgiadis.
The “click in shop” allows a consumer to set up an appointment to visit the store for a limited time, in order to try on shoes, clothes and jewelry and avoid the hassle of possible returns of merchandise through courier services.
The ministry “is committed to doing directly what is humanly possible and allowed due to the pandemic to return to operations part of the market at the very least,” Minister Adonis Georgiadis said on Monday.
After the meeting Georgiadis asserted that the ministry “fully understands the massive problems created by the extended lockdown in all trade enterprises – we are especially concerned about clothing and shoe businesses, as they are particularly linked to the sales season.”
Karanikas the hope the decision to allow the reopening this way is implemented shortly.
Following the statements by the Minister and the ESEE head, retailers hope that their stores will open again on Monday, January 18, 2021.
Relevant decisions are expected to be announced on upcoming Friday, Jan 15.
Last week, the government extended the lockdown imposed since November 7, 2020, until Jan 18. However, hardly anyone believes that restrictions will be fully lifted after that day as the number of intubated patients remains high and the real impact of Christmas, New Year and Epiphany (Jan 6) celebrations has not been seen yet.
