Business owners should be optimistic about the winter sales that start on Monday (Jan. 12), with a turnover target of 6 billion euros in the 50 days the sales will last, despite the financial fatigue of households after the holidays.
Statements to that effect were made by Piraeus Chamber of Commerce & Industry President Vassilis Korkidis to Athens-Macedonian News Agency (ANA-MPA), noting that annual sales in retail trade show signs of stability, with an assessed rise of 5%. Shop owners should expect the start of 2026 to be positive at sales, he said.
According to Korkidis, consumers’ customary purchases in winter sales focus are to a large degree established, and focus mostly on personal and family needs. Nearly 6 in 10 consumers buy what they need during sales, with 3 in 10 purchasing clothes and shoes, 2 in 10 buying technology devices, and 1 in 10 making home-related purchases. At the same time, however, despite raises in salaries the set high prices in the market continue to affect demand, as pricing is determined by the production costs, imports (which cover nearly 80% of basic consumer needs) and pricing strategies.
What is sought in regular sales, he said, is a high reduction of prices – often reaching 50% – so that businesses may liquidate inventories and consumers relieve their family budgets. Research shows that 9 in 10 consumers say they have been affected by high prices, with half of them looking for cheaper products and 3 in 10 buying mostly during sales, while 6 in 10 carry out their purchases online. Within these parameters, he said, the goal of a more than 6 billion euros turnover in the market in the first two months of the year is ambitious but possible, he adds.
Schedule
Winter sales will run from January 12 through February 28.
Stores have the option of opening on a voluntary basis the first two Sundays (January 18, 25), with a suggested schedul of 11:00-18:00.
