Shops to open six Sundays a year
The taboo of Sunday opening will soon become obsolete, as the Development Ministry is promoting the opening of retail stores for six Sundays per year in an attempt to tackle the continuing drop in turnover.
The new regulatory framework, which will be put up for consultation from Monday, will also include a shift from two to four sales periods per year.
Deputy Development Minister Thanassis Skordas announced on Thursday that the changes will apply from this month, as shops will be open on the last two Sundays of the year, December 23 and 30, compared with just one Sunday in previous years.
Kathimerini understands that besides the two Sundays each December – which from next year will be up to traders as to whether they will be both before Christmas or one before and one after December 25 – there will also be one Sunday opening during each sales period, the exact date of which will also be decided by the market.
Winter sales will begin on the second Monday of January and conclude at the end of February, while the summer sales window will open on the second Monday of July and close at end-August. This extends the current periods, which are from January 15 to February 28 and from July 15 to August 31.
The additional sales periods are set to last for 10 days each and will be scheduled for early November and early May every year.
