E-shops struggle with demand

The electronic commerce sector in Greece has proven unable to respond to the extraordinary conditions created by the measures put in place to curb the Covid-19 epidemic.

Delivery times have doubled at best compared to the period before the restrictions were introduced, while consumer complaints - to the companies themselves, on social media, as well as to the Consumer Ombudsman - are increasing. As a result, many retail enterprises, whose brick-and-mortar stores will remain shut until April 11 at the earliest, risk missing out on offsetting their losses through online sales.

According to Panayotis Gezerlis, founder of Convert Group, which specializes in e-commerce issues, and board members at the Greek eCommerce Association (GRECA), there are problems in the three stages of the supply chain: Weaknesses have been recorded in the structure of online stores that were...