Winter Sales Season: Stores Open on Sunday in Greece

Stores across Greece will remain open on Sunday, January 19, offering consumers the chance to take advantage of the ongoing winter sales season.

This marks the first Sunday of the year when stores will operate, with a second Sunday scheduled for next week.

Store Hours and Details

Most stores will operate between 11:00 AM and 6:00 PM, while shopping malls will stay open until later, from 11:00 AM to 8:00 PM.

The winter sales season, which began on Monday, January 13, will continue until Friday, February 28, giving consumers nearly seven weeks to shop for discounted items.

Supermarket Operations

While most supermarkets, including Sklavenitis, MyMarket, and AB Vassilopoulos, will remain closed on Sunday, a few exceptions apply:

• LIDL supermarkets will operate from 11:00 AM to 8:00 PM.
• Shop & Go-style convenience stores will remain open with extended hours.

Consumer Guidelines During Sales

Shoppers are advised to pay close attention to pricing transparency:

• Stores must display both the original price and the discounted price clearly.
• Discounts must comply with legal standards, including reference to the lowest price the product was sold for in the 30 days prior to the sales beginning on January 13.

Discounts can be presented as:

1. Percentage-based reductions (e.g., “20% off”).
2. Fixed-amount reductions (e.g., “€10 off”).
3. Previous and current prices side by side (e.g., “Now €50, was €100”).

Penalties for Violations

Retailers who violate sales regulations face significant fines:

• 1% of their annual turnover, with a minimum penalty of €10,000 for non-compliance.
• 2% of their annual turnover, with a minimum penalty of €20,000, for misleading or inaccurate discounts.

Source: Tovima.com