Winter sales: First Sunday with shops open

Shops will be open on Sunday, January 18, the first Sunday of the sales period, providing additional shopping opportunities, with suggested opening hours from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., while department stores usually remain open for longer hours than smaller shops, i.e. from approximately 11:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. – 18:00, while department stores usually remain open longer than smaller stores, i.e. approximately 11:00 – 20:00.

It should be noted that participation in the sales remains optional for stores, but those that choose to participate must clearly display the original and reduced price of each product and avoid misleading practices.

The vice president of the Athens Chamber of Commerce, speaking to journalists recently, while urging consumers to shop around in regional markets and neighborhood stores and to be particularly wary of fake discounts, especially in online shopping.

As for the size of the discounts, he estimated that because the market did not perform as well as expected during the holiday season, discounts on certain items will reach up to 70%.

Trade associations are advising their members that businesses are required to clearly display previous prices, while consumer protection organizations are advising consumers to be careful in their choices. As for control mechanisms, daily checks are carried out in the market to prevent fictitious discounts or misleading offers.

For a safe and efficient shopping experience, consumers are advised to check that prices are correctly displayed, based on the actual price before the discount, to compare prices in different stores, to do market research, to avoid impulse purchases, and above all to focus on their real needs.

Winter sales: What consumers should watch out for

The Greek Consumers’ Association draws consumers’ attention to some of their rights during sales periods, with a view to ensuring safer and more prudent shopping:

• During winter sales and, in general, during sales promotions, the original and new reduced prices of the products must be clearly displayed at the points of sale, with reference to the appropriate unit of measurement per product.
• Any announcement of a price reduction shall indicate the previous price applied by the trader for a specified period prior to the application of the price reduction. The previous price is defined as the lowest price applied by the trader during a period of not less than thirty (30) days prior to the application of the price reduction. When the product has been on the market for less than thirty (30) days, the previous price is defined as the lowest price applied by the trader during a period of ten (10) days prior to the application of the price reduction. When the price reduction increases progressively, the previous price shall be the price without the price reduction before the first application of the price reduction.
• When offering discounts, in addition to displaying the old and new reduced prices of goods and services sold at a discount, it is also permitted to display and advertise the discount percentage. If a reduced price is offered on more than 60% of all items sold, the discount percentage offered must be displayed in the store window and in any other commercial communication, and if there are different discount percentages for different product categories, the range of the percentage offered must be displayed (“from … % to … %). In all other cases, it must be stated that the discounts apply to selected items, with reference to the corresponding percentage.
• STOCK or OUTLET stores are required to display the following information on signs in accordance with the provisions in force: (a) the old selling price, crossed out, and (b) the new reduced selling price, in such a way as to clearly communicate to the consumer the difference between the two prices.
• Optionally, the percentage of the reduction may be displayed inside the store and in any other commercial communication with the consumer. During sales or promotional periods, these stores are required to display on their signs all intermediate prices crossed out and, in bold type, the new reduced sale price, and to indicate in any other commercial communication only the words “discounts,” “special offers.”
• If the discounts, offers, or any announcement of a price reduction are inaccurate or misleading as to the percentage of the discount or as to the prices or as to the quantity of products offered at a discount or on offer, or involve any form of concealment or deception, a fine of up to 2% of the annual turnover and in any case not less than €20,000 shall be imposed on the trader.
• If the trader is fined for the same offense a second time within five years, the maximum fine shall be increased to 4% of its annual turnover.