Draft Law To Allow Shops To Open 7 Days A Week

Development Minister Costis Hatzidakis and Deputy Development Minister Athanassios Skordas unveiled a draft bill that is going to allow smaller retail shops to open for up to 52 Sundays a year, while all shops are expected to be permitted to open for seven Sundays around Christmas, Easter and during the sales.

According to the bill, small shops are considered those covering up to 250 square metres that are not part of a chain or a shop-in-shop and which are not situated in shopping malls, discount department stores and discount villages. These stores will have the option to open on all Sundays allowed in their particular area.

The number of Sundays, in addition to the 'core' seven for all shops, where shops are allowed to open in each area can be restricted by order of the deputy regional authority chief of each region or by the mayors of Athens, Thessaloniki and Piraeus, provided this order is issued within two months.

Failing that, shopowers will finally be allowed to open their stores for as many Sundays as they like. However, opening hours on Sunday will be after Sunday church services.

Hatzidakis said that the changes harmonised Greek laws with those of the majority of European Union countries, especially competitive tourist destinations, and would help breathe life into city centres and allow tourists to make purchases that benefit the economy and grant a competitive advantage to smaller businesses over large ones.

The minister quoted recent Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) studies showing that Sunday opening for shops can create up to 30,000 additional jobs in commerce, while the increase in competition can generate savings of up to 309 million euros a year for consumers. According to Skordas, these savings are the result of an increase in turnover for businesses accompanied by lower prices.

The draft bill also includes a number of additional measures relating to operation of markets, including two additional sales periods in the first 10 days of May and November, a simplification of penalties for various transgressions to limit corruption and the abolition of outdated regulations that obstructed market operation.

Several measures concern the retail fuel market and include tougher penalties for those tampering with fuel pumps and other measuring organs - including revoking the business owner's licence - and requiring that fuel stations draw up written contracts with their suppliers, closer monitoring of fuel volume to discourage trade in contraband fuels and others.