Greek Stores remained open on Sunday from 11:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. amid controversies including a 24-hour strike called by store personnel and low turnover.
There are seven Sundays of the year in which stores throughout Greece must be open, according to a 2013 law, while another regulation requires stores to remain open on all Sundays of the year in selected regions of Greece, such as popular tourist destinations, as part of a pilot program that will be reviewed for possible application throughout the country.
The Athens Commerce Association stood by its resolution to have stores open only seven Sundays a year, including this one (July 20). Store employees went on strike last Sunday to protest the year-round openings.
Meanwhile, sales started this past Monday (July 14) and will run until August 30.
Store staff held protests on Sunday against Sunday openings, while in Athens the number of shoppers did not show any significant increase, according to National Confederation of Hellenic Commerce (ESEE) president Vassilis Korkidis.
The seven Sundays, from November 2013 to July 2014, do not appear to have increased turnover, volume, job opportunities or wages, according to a study by ESEE which will be published this coming week. Speaking to ANA-MPA, Korkidis said that there were stores which did not open on Sunday, adding that the Sunday opening of stores must be targeted.
(source: ana-mpa)
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