Moreover, on Sunday, July 16th, stores will be open throughout the country from 11:00 to 20:00. "During both the sales and the opening of the stores on Sunday, July 16th, the retail businesses will display a wide variety of their products at extremely attractive and favorable prices," the announcement added.

Running through Saturday, this year’s installment is being celebrated by more than 100 bookstores across the country and includes over 150 events, including presentations and talks by popular writers and illustrators. Apart from underscoring the passion and knowledge that independent booksellers bring to the business, and the way they bring together people who share the passion of reading, the event also seeks to showcase the work of a new generation of writers and illustrators, as well as reaching out to children.

This is the platform through which citizens can submit applications to receive the financial aid to cover part of the increased household costs during the months from February to July 2023. In this way, 'Market Pass' aims to alleviate the consequences that the increase in the consumer price index has brought to households. "Beneficiaries are approximately 85% of Greek households," government spokesman, Yiannis Economou, said on Monday during a press briefing.

More specifically, 56% of fashion e-shops reported an increase in revenue, up from 47% in 2021, with a 43% saying business results were positive in 2022. Greek representatives of the fashion sector (clothing and footwear) remained optimistic over the current year, with a 40% expecting conditions to improve and only 2% saying conditions would worsen. A 12% is certain that conditions will be definitely better in 2023. A 50% of fashion e-shops said they planned to keep prices unchanged in 2023, a 37% plans to raise prices by 6-10%.

Complaints from consumers can be made on the kataggelies.mindev.gov.gr platform and concern infringements within Greece, within the European Union and outside the European Union. The platform gives a choice of seven different categories on which consumers can submit a complaint, either giving their name or anonymously: consumer goods, services, banking services, insurance and other financial services, debtor information companies, debt settlement and personal data protection. Complaints can be submitted regarding consumer goods, such as foods, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, food supplements etc, but complaints can also be submitted over food safety issues, rules of commerce (weights, misleading advertising, interpretation of legislation), as well as for counterfeit products, personal data protection services, and other matters which are not all within the Development and Investments Ministry's remit.

The same announcement said that the first Sunday of the winter sales, namely 15 January, the commercial shops will be open throughout the country from 11:00 to 20:00. "During the winter sales, the retail businesses will offer a wide range of products at very low prices with respect, excellent service and respect to the consumers," SELPE underlined.   More information: Shopping in Athens

Until January 1, the renewed Omonoia Square will also shine in Christmas splendor. The square will be transformed into a "winter wonderland". The capital's new commercial and entertainment institution will fill the city center with glitter and more vibrancy, offering delicious treats, selected gifts, music and lots of fun for young and old during a series of special events. The official opening of the Omonoia Christmas Market took place on Sunday afternoon with the inauguration of the Christmas Market by the Mayor of Athens, Kostas Bakoyannis: "Omonia is back. Who would have thought it? Who could have imagined three, four, five years ago that we would all come together to celebrate Christmas in Omonoia? The street is open again after the renovation. A road that we all walk along together. And I want to say a big thank you to everyone who supports us, everyone who helps us, everyone we work with. And of course to Brown Hotels, but also to Mr. Hondo, who kept Omonoia going during the difficult days. Blessings to all of you. May our children be happy. Merry Christmas."

The Acropolis Museum offers its visitors a range of one-of-a-kind souvenirs for festive gifts, such as charms, decorative items and Christmas balls, all available in the Museum Shops. LUCKY CHARM 2023 Gold-plated brass necklace and table charm depicting a helix. This year’s lucky charm is ideal for a gift to your loved one, inspired by the helix which forms at the peak of the sima (roof gutter) of the Hekatompedon, the great temple built around 570 BC, about 120 years prior to the construction of the Parthenon. The sima crowned the pediment of the temple and it can be seen in the Archaic Acropolis Gallery. Price necklace: 35.00€ | Price table charm: 37.00€ | Designer: Kostas Dimopoulos   ORNAMENT POMEGRANATE This ornament is inspired by the pomegranate that Kore Acr. 593 holds in her left hand as an offering to the goddess Athena. The pomegranate's numerous seeds have made it a symbol of fertility, abundance, prosperity and good luck. It dates back to around 580-570 BC and it can be seen in the Archaic Acropolis Gallery.   Price: 23.00€ | Designer: Treis Grammes     ORNAMENT DOVE This ornament is inspired by the dove held as an offering to the goddess Athena by the "Lyon Kore" (Acr. 269). This Kore takes her name from the fact that the original of her upper body is located in Lyon, France. It dates back to around 540 BC and is exhibited in the Archaic Acropolis Gallery.   Price: 25.00€ | Designer: Treis Grammes ORNAMENT QUINCE This ornament is inspired by the quince that Kore Acr. 680 holds in her outstretched hand. The ancients considered the quince to belong to the apple family and, because of its many seeds, a symbol of fertility. The "Kore with a quince" dates back to 530-520 BC and is exhibited in the Archaic Acropolis Gallery.   Price: 25.00€ | Designer: Treis Grammes   ORNAMENT APPLE This decorative item is inspired by the apple that Kore Acr. 677 holds in her hand as an offering to the goddess Athena. The apple was a fruit associated with love, marriage and fertility. The "Kore with an apple" dates back to 570-560 BC and is exhibited in the Archaic Acropolis Gallery.   Price: 25.00€ | Designer: Treis Grammes ORNAMENT WHEEL This porcelain ornament is inspired by a small brass wheel, a dedication made by an unknown person in the 6th century BC to the Sanctuary of the Acropolis. The exhibit can be seen in the Archaic Acropolis Gallery (showcase 19). Price: 19.00€ | Designer: Treis Grammes Ceramics ORNAMENT BELLS These ceramic bells have been decorated with designs inspired by those seen on the painted clay sprindle whorls (weaving weights) that brides-to-be dedicated to the Sanctuary of Nymphe on the slopes of the Acropolis. The originals are exhibited in the Gallery of the Slopes of the Acropolis (showcase 6, no 128).   Price: 19.00€ | Designs: Dots, Leaves | Designer: Attiko Fos ORNAMENT POMEGRANATES The decoration of these ceramic pomegranates is inspired by the painted designs on the clay sprindle whorls (weaving weights) that brides-to-be dedicated to the Sanctuary of Nymphe on the slopes of the Acropolis. The originals are exhibited in the Gallery of the Slopes of the Acropolis (showcase 6, no 128).   Price: 20.00€ | Designs: Chess, Leaves | Designer: Attiko Fos ORNAMENT EYE The design of this ceramic table charm is inspired by the eyes depicted on a clay jar used as a container for aromatic oil. The huge eyes which frame a lion on the vessel’s surface had a protective character that is the power to drive away evil. The original dates back to 500-475 BC and is exhibited in the Gallery of the Slopes of the Acropolis (showcase 6, no 23). Price: 24.00€ | Designer: Attiko Fos ORNAMENT SMALL FIGURINE Φ Ceramic ornament inspired by a small female figurine of the Mycenaean period. The original is a type of figurine called Phi (Φ), as their shape resembles the corresponding letter of the Greek alphabet. Their presence on the Acropolis is probably associated with a goddess of fertility, possibly Athena, to whom they were offered as gifts. The original dates back to 1375-1190 BC and is exhibited in the Archaic Acropolis Gallery (showcase 2, no 9). Price: 22.50€ | Designer: Attiko Fos ORNAMENT SMALL FIGURINE Ψ Ceramic ornament inspired by a small female figurine of the Mycenaean period. The original is a type of figurine called Psi (Ψ), as their shape resembles the corresponding letter of the Greek alphabet. Their presence on the Acropolis is probably associated with a goddess of fertility, possibly Athena, to whom they were offered as gifts. The original dates back to 1225-1050 BC and is exhibited in the Archaic Acropolis Gallery (showcase 2, no 14). Price: 22.50€ | Designer: Attiko Fos ORNAMENT CERAMIC BALL Ceramic ornament with design inspired by the decoration on clay spindle whorls that were dedicated to the Sanctuary of Nymphe in the 6th century BC. The originals are exhibited in the Gallery of the Slopes of the Acropolis (showcase 6, no 128).   Price: 24.00€ | Designer: Attiko Fos More Information: Acropolis Museum Shop

On Saturdays they will be open from 9:00 until 20:00 and on Sunday 11/12/2022 and 18/12/2022 they will open from 11:00 until 20:00, ready to welcome the consumer public for their purchases. It should be noted that the member companies of SELPE have taken all the necessary measures to comply with the health rules. More information: Shopping in Athens

Cyber Monday has become the online equivalent of Black Friday and offers an opportunity for smaller online retailers to compete with the larger chains. Since its inception, the term has become an international marketing tool used by online retailers around the world. What consumers should watch out for In order to better inform and prepare consumers but also to make the best possible use of the opportunities offered by the market, the Independent Authority "Consumer Advocate" and the European Consumer Center of Greece recommend the following to consumers: 1. To be careful when registering online for newsletters, with which they are asked to declare their preferences in time for specific products and thus be informed earlier about the discounts that will be made on them. In particular, be wary of the personal information they provide through these newsletters, since they are, in essence, a form of electronic marketing and are often used by suppliers to create personalized customer profiles and to carry out personalized promotions that follow them everywhere. while browsing the internet. 2. To separate the real from the virtual offers by doing their own market research long enough in advance for the products they are interested in, combined with the use of special tools available from online product comparison and shopping platforms, which represent the timeless price fluctuation. 3. When placing their orders, to give special emphasis and importance, in addition to the price, to other critical information related to the speed of delivery of their products, namely: (a) availability, taking into account in particular barriers and restrictions which, at an international level, affect the production and circulation of the goods, as well as (b) the expected shipping time of the products through postal providers. The aim is that consumers do not later experience dissatisfaction and frustration from any excessive and/or unspecified waiting times. 4. To avoid buying products, even if they are sold at particularly favorable prices, from online stores that have websites of dubious legitimacy (e.g. they do not include complete address and contact information, contain "dead" links or links to terms of use or policy privacy protection with an incoherent provision, channel communication with consumers exclusively through social media applications, such as viber, messenger, etc.). More: Trustworthy online shops from Greece  

"The support of consumers in the first days is impressive and indeed the prices are comparatively better and will be even better as a result of competition. People are supporting the measures and buying the products included in the 'household basket' and as a result the prices are starting to fall, because that is what the consumer is most interested in." Since the first implementation of the measure, the interest of the consumer public has been very high, both in the stores of the supermarket chains and on the platform https://e-katanalotis.gov.gr/householdBasket where the price lists for more than 50 products have been posted.

At that time, super markets operating in Greece pledged to present a 'basket' of 50 different products necessary for a household's living for which they will seek to contain any price hikes. This pledge was made during a meeting between minister Georgiadis with representatives of super markets and food retailers. He had stated that next week he will meet with representatives from the food industry to seek a similar agreement. He also had noted that the meeting did not discuss a "freeze" on prices, and he had stressed that each company will pursue its own policy on prices: "We do not breach rules of fair competition. It is something that we would never do," he had added. The minister also noted that the measure will stay in effect for as long as the price hikes crisis lasts, and that relevant authorities will monitor prices every 2 weeks.