However, market players say they are disappointed by the turnover of the stores so far
Crowds of people flood the center of Thessaloniki every day and citizens from all parts of the city, as well as foreign visitors, mainly from Balkan countries, wearing their festive clothes, go in and out of the shops, enjoy various drinks and meals in the decorated restaurants and become part of the highly festive prevailing atmosphere.
Of course, it is also the city’s Metro that attracts both the citizens of the prefecture and the surrounding areas, as well as foreigners, which, as they have repeatedly stated, is a living… underground museum that captures the history and the levels it was built and Thessaloniki was inhabited, from 316 BC and the Hellenistic times, until the most recent times and the liberation of the city in 1912.
Representatives of the city’s productive bodies, speaking to APE, agree with the above and…increase with satisfaction and joy, but both recognize with reflection and concern that their coffers are not sufficiently filled, since consumers procure the absolutely necessary, even choosing the symbols , which don’t cost too much… They themselves estimate that the purchasing power of consumers is limited, while it is affected by energy price increases and not only that, but also by the fact that before the year changes, the obligations to the state must be settled and they are costly. Thus, purchases are made, but they are restrained, measured and as economical as possible.
Every year and better for the shops
“We are a breath away from Christmas, but the shopping traffic is even worse than any weekday”, points out the president of the Thessaloniki Trade Association (ESTH), Pantelis Filippidis, and expressing his disappointment, he estimates that this year’s festive period “will close with a drop of 30% to 40% compared to last year”. Indicatively, he mentions that even on the two previous Sundays when the Thessaloniki market was open and flooded with people, especially on December 22, the purchases were minimal and most of them were not made by small and medium businesses.
For the foreign visitors to the city, mainly from Balkan countries, he notes that they “go shopping”. He emphasizes, at the same time, that under normal conditions the Christmas turnover contributes 80% to the total annual revenue for toys, while for the rest of the items the festive turnover contributes up to 30%. However, he believes that this is not expected to happen this year and predicts a bad 2025 with a lockout. “Who could have ever imagined ten years ago that today – among other things – there would be 14 unoccupied shops on Mitropoleos Street and 12 on Tsimiski Street, the most commercial street in Thessaloniki” he says and adds “commercial streets have disappeared, like that of Paraskevopoulos and out of the 3,500 members of the ESTH, it is a matter of 500 being “healthy”. The majority of us are in the “red”.
Bakers and confectioners are waiting for… the peak of traffic
Thousands of kilos of king pie and as many honey macaroons and kourabies have set out to prepare and… are being prepared by bakers and confectioners in the prefecture of Thessaloniki, with the heads of the Bakers’ Association of the prefecture of Thessaloniki, “The Prophet Elias”, Elsa Koukumeria and the Guild of Confectioners, Mario Papadopoulos to point out to APE that “the consumers make purchases, but sparingly and wisely, so as not to fall outside the family budget which is measured and defined”. Both of course state that from the next few days it is possible that the traffic in their shops will peak and they express the wish that this will happen. “Even if marginally we “see” closing this season with a positive sign compared to last year” they add.
The bakers, according to Ms. Koukumeria, this year they set out to bake more than 500,000 kilos of king pie ahead of the New Year. In the meantime, already hundreds of thousands of kilos of honey macaroni and curabiettes… are prepared, baked and “put” the consumers, who are shopping a little more this year compared to the corresponding period last year, into the festive mood, as he points out.
Regarding the prices of festive sweets, he notes that they are either stable or up to one euro higher, compared to the corresponding period last year, and he assures: “any increase, if it finally happens, will not exceed one euro per kilo and really not it reflects the stormy price increases that we bakers are experiencing and which, together with energy costs, exceed 50% compared to the corresponding period last year”. Thus, the prices of honey macarons and kourabiedes this year range from 13-16 euros/kg, i.e. at last year’s levels and 16-19 euros/kg respectively, while for the king pie, Mrs. Koukumeria estimates that it will be available this year at 13-18 euros/kg.
100,000 to 150,000 kilos are estimated for the king pies that the confectioners of Thessaloniki will make available this year, with the president of the Confectioners’ Guild, Mario Papadopoulos noting: “the traffic is still recorded as “slow”, but I estimate that from the very next days there may be climax”. Referring to the prices in the confectioneries of the prefecture of Thessaloniki, he emphasizes that despite the increase in production costs by 50% this year compared to last year and “against” the “distortion of the market, we keep our prices stable compared to the corresponding period last year, respecting consumers and maintaining high quality”.
Thus, according to him, the prices for honey macarons are 13-17 euros/kg and for curabiettes at 15-19 euros/kg “when in fact in other markets of the country their cost respectively amounts to 26 euros/kg and 30/ euro per kilo respectively”. The operators express their joy and satisfaction at the return of consumers to the points of manufacture of their sweets and beyond, and add: “consumers can be sure that we do not make any discount on the quality of our products despite any price increases and other difficulties we face” .
Reduced by at least 15% the traffic in the street markets
In the meantime, market stalls may be full of fresh produce and prices may remain stable compared to the corresponding period last year, “however, although we are in the final days before the festive season, consumers are buying wisely”. points out the president of the Federation of Associations of Professional Producers and Market Sellers of Macedonia-Thessaly-Thrace, Angelos Deretzis, estimating that this year’s decline in turnover will exceed 15%.
Consumers continue to buy products “measured and buy the essentials for the festive table, thus avoiding large quantities”, he emphasizes and notes: “at least the arrival of people to the open-air markets, stimulates our psychology, if not the . ..pocket”. The purchasing power of consumers “has decreased significantly in recent years. Something that is confirmed in this period as well”, says Mr. Deretzis.
Reduced orders at butchers
The orders placed in butcher shops in the run-up to the Christmas holidays are down by up to 15%, compared to last year’s corresponding period, with the president of the Panhellenic Federation of Butcher Shop Managers, Savva Kesidis, pointing out that “there is enough, consumers want to to buy but they don’t have money”. However, according to him, 50% of the turnover in the country’s butchers ahead of the Christmas celebration concerns pork purchases.
“Traditionally, the “king” of the festive table in Greece is pork, followed closely by poultry and then lamb/goat and beef,” Mr. Kesidis. As far as turkeys are concerned, he notes that there are some sales, “but not great things”, as he typically says and explains that “its consumption is not in keeping with the tradition that the Greeks keep during the Christmas and New Year holidays New Year’s Day”.
Regarding prices this year, the president of the Panhellenic Federation of Butchers (with approximately 12,000 butchers nationwide), reports that they are at last year’s levels for pork and poultry, while turkey is more expensive than during the Christmas holidays 2023 in a range from 0.50 euro/kg up to one euro/kg. For the price of lambs, he notes that it remains at last year’s levels, while on the other hand, for beef, it is at +15%-17%.
It is recalled that on Christmas Eve 24/12 and New Year’s Eve 31/12, the shops will be open from ten in the morning until six in the afternoon, giving consumers the opportunity to do their last minute shopping. On Christmas and New Year’s Day, the shops will remain closed, while their shutters will be down on 26/12 and the ESTH proposes the same to happen on 2/12. On Sunday 29/12, those shopkeepers who wish to do so will be able to operate their businesses from 10:00 in the morning until 6:00 in the afternoon.
