Premiere for the summer sale season last week and shop owners all over the country opened their stores this Sunday hoping to a turnover increase, however, the interest of tourists and locals alike in spending money wasn’t, as it appeared, as warm as anticipated and limited to window-shopping. Furthermore, street protests organized by employee unions almost in every city of the country held an added discomfort.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.

The head of the National Confederation of Greek Commerce (ESEE), Vassilis Korkidis, described the results of stores in major cities opening on Sunday as highly disappointing.

According to data of the National Confederation of Hellenic Commerce (ESEE), from November 2013 when the Sunday opening hours were introduced on a trial basis, until July 2014, no increase in turnover was witnessed whatsoever, or on overall sales and employment rates and wages. Vasilis Korkidis has stressed that the Sunday measure must be more focused. He also noted that a complete study is soon to be released.