Cheaper is ‘better’
Over half of the people interviewed said high prices were a problem in shopping for food, and for over 60 percent, the difficulty was quality, safety and hygiene. Nearly three-quarters of Greeks believe that state safety inspections and quality controls are inadequate. Sixty percent prefer food that does not contain preservatives but only 32 percent buy organic products, as they feel they are expensive and hard to find. Ilias Mykoniatis, an executive at a major supermarket chain in central Macedonia, claims that due to rising prices after the introduction of the euro, reduced incomes and the growth of discount chains, a considerable number of consumers are turning to cheaper products of lower quality.
