A successful experiment
The opening of shops on Sunday was an experiment that went very well and allowed retailers to make some unexpected profits during what is a very bad period for the sector.
Beyond that though, one of the most pleasant effects of Sunday’s store openings was that the streets of Athens and other Greek cities were finally filled with families. The center of the capital was more alive than it has been in years, buzzing with people checking out the sales, window shopping and enjoying the day.
The reactions by unionists appeared to have no effect on the public, while the stance of certain opposition parties demanding that the law on the liberalization of the retail sector be revoked was nothing short of provocative.
What we saw is a society that is happy to embrace something new despite the objections of vested interests and the enemies of change. And that alone was the most valuable lesson we can draw from Sunday.
