Shops Open Today – Discounts Up to 70%

Shops will remain open today (January 25, 2026), as it marks the second Sunday of the winter sales. The recommended operating hours for stores during the winter sales are from 11:00 AM to 6:00 PM, although large shopping centers and department stores are expected to operate for longer periods. It’s important to note that store openings are optional, with each business deciding independently whether to open. Meanwhile, market performance remains mixed. According to Nikos Kogiouskis, Vice President of the Athens Chamber of Commerce and the Athens Retailers Association, prices are highly attractive, with average discounts reaching 50% and up to 70% in many cases. However, consumer activity remains weak. Kogiouskis cited reduced purchasing power as a key reason, along with the prolonged use of promotional periods since the deregulation of sales policies in 2022. This issue was recently raised during a meeting with the General Secretary of the Ministry of Development, Mr. Maravegias, urging a review of the current framework. ‘Continuous promotions create confusion among consumers and widen economic disparities between large and small businesses,’ he emphasized, criticizing extended events like Black Friday, which should last only one to four days to maintain their genuine discount character. He also urged consumers to pay close attention to listed prices, stressing that displaying both original and discounted prices is crucial to verify if reductions are genuine compared to prices from the past 30 days. Fake discounts, he noted, harm both consumers and fair market competition.