With the summer sale season having begun last week, shops all over Greece opened on Sunday in hopes of seeing their turnover increase, but aside from a few tourist areas, tourists and locals alike were mostly restricted to window-shopping.
The controversial decision to introduce opening hours for every Sunday also prompted employee unions to stage demonstrations. In Athens unionists set up banners outside chain stores on Ermou Street, while in Thessaloniki employees gathered at Aristotelous Square and marched through central areas of the city,
According to a report by the National Confederation of Hellenic Commerce (ESEE), from November 2013 when the Sunday opening hours were introduced on a trial basis, until July 2014, there has been no increase in turnover, overall sales, employment or wages. ESEE president Vasilis Korkidis argued that the Sunday measure must be more focused and noted that a full study will soon be published.
