If in Milan, which, as you know, is not on the coast, fashionistas and women of fashion go to buy, then Greek cities and towns can compete with this Italian fashion capital. After all, there you can combine shopping trips with relaxation on the beach and interesting excursions. Shopping in Greece is calm and measured, like the whole lifestyle of the locals. Shops work with a huge lunch break (here it is called messimery). Small boutiques close in the summer at 14.30, and open only at 17.00. In winter, the mode of operation changes slightly: the siesta is reduced by an hour, but stores also close earlier. Greeks are known for their cool attitude to work. Therefore, some private shops on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays are open only until noon. And that's not all. Many shops, except Sunday, are closed on Saturday.
But almost always and everywhere you can make a successful shopping in Greece: Halkidiki, Thessaloniki, the islands and, of course, the capital of Athens are the best examples of this. In every town there is at least one street left to the merchants. Typically, such shopping areas are located in the city center. This is the Athenian street of Ermou, in Thessaloniki - Tsimiski, in Rethymnon - Arkadiou. In addition, in every densely populated area of megalopolises there are “Ok” chain supermarkets, which operate without interruption from early morning to late evening.
This country has not yet been too much affected by the globalization process, which is why most of the products on the shelves of local production. But world-famous label hunters will also be pleased. Shopping in Greece will allow you to purchase goods that are almost never found outside this region, or buy French or German gizmos at CARREFOUR or LIDL.
Many in Greece and shopping malls. As usual, they are located on the outskirts of big cities: “Metro Mall”, “Athens Mall”, “Golden Hall” in Athens or “Mediterranean Cosmos” in Thessaloniki. From mid-July to the end of August, as well as from mid-January to the end of February, a discount season is announced in these stock stores. But besides these periods, from time to time, some mall conducts an action or sale. From a position of economy, shopping in Greece is very profitable. The supermarket chains are considered to be the most supermarket Skladenitis (ΣΚΛΑΒΕΝΙΤΗΣ) and Ab Vasilopoulos (ΑΒ ΒΑΣΙΛΟΠΟΥΛΟΣ). Olive oil and other goods that the country is famous for can be found in Tanopoulos (ΘΑΝΟΠΟΥΛΟΣ).
Each region of the country is still famous for some specific crafts, and this circumstance must be taken into account when shopping in Greece. In Crete, for example, it is impossible to do without buying leather goods, especially sandals or boots. Pottery is being brought from Skyros, Sifnos and Rhodes. The islands of Kefalonia and Zakynthos are known for wood carvings and embroidery. Athens and Rhodes are the capital of jewelry. Gold jewelry should be bought there. But for silver gizmos it makes sense to call in the town of Ioannina, located in the region of Epirus.
But the best shopping in Greece is, first of all, fur coats. For fur products specially organized special tours. The capital of the furriers is Kastoria in the north of the country. It so happened historically that in this city located in the mountains, with rather severe winters, there was a demand for warm casings. And since there were many beavers in the surrounding forests, at first the fur coats and short fur coats were made from their skins. Well, now Kastoria has become a center for breeding furs of the broadest profile. If you can’t stop by the north of Greece, you can buy a beautiful coat in Athens and the tourist centers of the country. But it will cost 500-600 euros more.