Online shopping

Greek consumers appear pessimistic about the future of the national economy and their own personal finances, according to a survey by the Association of Business and Retail Sales of Greece (SELPE).

The market is eager to see all brick-and-mortar stores reopen as early as possible, even if it is with the shopping by appointment system - dubbed "click inside" - that the government appears to be leaning towards at this stage. This may be the only way for retailers to contain massive turnover losses from the months-long lockdowns.

The new system considered for the operation of retail commerce amid the second wave of the pandemic provides for shopping by appointment, with consumers allowed to enter a store, see and even try on products of their choice.

Consumers are increasingly sensitive about their rights, Dimitar Margaritov, Chairman of the Consumer Protection Commission (CPC), told BNR. Consumer legislation in Bulgaria is good, however, in certain sectors it is catching up with real life, he commented, giving an example of claims for defective goods within the warranty period.

A bookstore prepares for Monday's opening with a limit of four customers per 100 square meters. Hair salons also open Monday. Visits to both can be done only by appointment. Also Monday, retail stores will inaugurate the click-and-collect system, which allows customers to physically pick up items they have bought online or by phone.

As expected, the government on Friday announced the opening of some retailers, albeit in what has been described as a hybrid form to pose the least possible threat to health.

Seasonal retail stores trading exclusively in Christmas trees and decorations will open on December 7 and will operate until January 8, said Secretary General for Trade and Consumer Protection Panagiotis Stampoulidis at Friday's live coronavirus briefing.

"Smart lockers" is the business idea that local startup Freshlime has successfully floated into a new network for distributing online orders.

Svuum, a Greek startup whose onomatopoeic name is the noise made as a motor vehicle speeds up, since May 2019 has focused on becoming a super-advanced courier company. Although it was founded last year, it was the start of the pandemic that saw the company become really active in the courier sector, enjoying a major increase in orders.

The new consumer habits the pandemic has created are here to stay, at least for most of the consumers who are picking them up during lockdown.

Some of the habits originally expected to be adopted within three years by a large part of the population, such as buying groceries online, were in fact adopted within a few days and now are considered routine for many Greeks.