ith the Orthodox Easter Holy Week commencing this upcoming Monday, Greek retailers are holding onto their optimism. The President of the Piraeus Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Vassilis Korkidis, anticipates that this year’s Easter turnover will surpass last year’s figure of 1.5 billion euros.
Korkidis emphasized that this year’s holiday period, including travel and hospitality services, is expected to be reflected in May’s statistics, and all signs point to a surpassing of last year’s numbers. With Orthodox Easter falling within the summer tourist season, the influx of international tourists should be taken into account.
As May 1 approaches, the deadline for employers to deposit Easter bonuses, the market is expected to pick up pace during Holy Week. A recent study by “Greece’s Retail Consumer Goods Research Institute” (IELKA) reveals that fifty-three percent of Easter shoppers plan to do their shopping during this period.
Tomorrow, Sunday, April 28, stores will observe holiday opening hours, remaining open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
In Greek supermarkets, consumer traffic has surged following the introduction of two initiatives by the Greek Development Ministry: the “Godparents’ Basket” and the “Easter Basket.” The latter, along with the preceding Lenten Week Basket, complements the already existing “Household basket” initiative by incorporating four Easter goods into the list of products offered at fixed prices in supermarkets, thereby making them more accessible to low-income families. These four products include lamb meat, goat meat, Tsoureki (Greek Sweet Bread), and Easter chocolate eggs among other delicacies.
The Godparents’ Basket offers a wider range of products such as gifting toys, chocolates and children’s clothing, traditionally gifted by godparents during Easter.
All three measures, Godfather’s Basket, Easter Basket and Lenten Week Basket will remain effective until May 4.
Lamb and Goat Meat Prices
The price of lamb meat in supermarkets remains steady compared to last year, just below 10 euros per kilogram with prices ranging from 9.78 to 9.99 euros per kilogram. Meanwhile, goat meat, slightly pricier than lamb, ranges from just below 10 euros to 10.99 euros per kilogram.
However, the price cap set by the Ministry of Development on lamb and goat meat, highly sought-after during the festive season due to the Easter tradition of roasting lamb on a spit, has stirred tensions and disagreements within traders and professionals in the stock farming sector, owing to high production costs and reduced livestock.
Source: tovima.com
Latest News
Greek Buyers Drive Vacation Home Market Resurgence
George Gavriilidis, CEO of the real estate consultancy Elxis highlights that Greek buyers are increasingly drawn to emerging locales.
INSETE: Air Data Tracker Sees Bookings up 8.4%
Of the 27,025,200 seats booked from March to October 2024, 80% have been confirmed
Titan Group Announces IPO For Its North American Subsidiary
Titan Group subsidiary Titan American will be listed in a New York stock exchange, with the details pending
McDonald’s in Greece Breaks New Records, Plans New Outlets
McDonald’s has finally won over consumers in Greece, reporting record gains and planning more outlets.
Vacant Properties in Greece Posing Risk of Forest Fires
Homeowners are calling on municipal authorities to clear away empty properties which pose a serious threat of fire in the summer
New ‘Jobmatch’ App to Link Greek Tourism Businesses with Jobseekers
New digital app ‘Jobmatch’ aims to help Greece’s tourism and hospitality sector fill hundreds of empty posts ahead of the tourism season
HSBC, Goldman Sachs Positive on Greek Economy
Goldman Sachs sees an upgrade of the Greek stock market
Greek Easter 1.5bln-Euro Turnover Satisfies Retailers
This year’s Orthodox Easter coincided with the beginning of the summer tourist season, resulting in a 15% increase in tourist traffic in downtown Athens
President von der Leyen’s Campaign Website Attacked by Bots
The President of the European Commission announced the attack, which comes one month before European Parliament elections and following a series of media reports about Russian-led disinformation campaigns, on her X account
MEPs Rake in ‘Whopping’ €8.7 mln in Side Gigs – Transparency Intl
The report opens a "can of worms" about the potential for foreign governments to influence MEPs and notes that Greece's MEPs rank the 3rd highest for their generation of side income