The winter sales start today, Monday January 13th, and will last until February 28th.

Stores can also operate, if they wish, on Sundays 19 and 26 January, with suggested opening hours from 11:00am. until 6:00 p.m.

The Trade Association says in a statement that merchants await consumers with “strong discounts and unique opportunities.”

According to what the president of EBEP, Vassilis Korkidis, told APE-MPE, the winter sales, despite the financial fatigue of the holidays, will meet the expectations of traders and consumers and the purchasing movement will move to better levels than last year, with the aim of turnover in retail in the two months, January – February to exceed 6 billion. euro of the corresponding two months last year.

What is planned for the price reduction?

Especially for the regular discounts, in accordance with the Code of Ethics (YA 66877/30-8-2024) the price reduction can take the following form, always under the condition of mentioning the previous price as defined above:

* Percentage (%), e.g. “20% off”.

* Specific amount, e.g. “10 euro discount”.

* Listing of new (lower) price along with listing of previous (higher) price applied, e.g. “now 50 euros, before 100 euros”. The previous value can be displayed and deleted, e.g. “50 euros 100 euros”.

It is noted that the previous price means the lowest price applied by the trader during the 30-day period before the price reduction was applied. When the product has been on the market for less than 30 days, the previous price is the lowest price during the time the product has been on the market. If the price is progressively reduced during the 60 days prior to the application of the price reduction, the prior price shall be the price in effect prior to the application of the first of the successive price reductions. The 60 day rule is the one used “within” sales. However, a word of caution: In order to use the previous price that was valid before the discounts, there must not be a single price increase within 60 days, even on the reduced prices, as this automatically cancels the previous price before the discounts.

The trade associations call for the attention of the commercial world, as according to article 21 n. 4177/2013, those who violate the law are subject to a fine equal to 1% of the annual turnover and in any case not less than 10,000 euros. In the event that the discounts prove to be inaccurate or misleading, a fine equal to 2% of the annual turnover and in any case not less than 20,000 euros is imposed.

What consumers should watch out for

In view of the winter sales, the Union of Consumer Workers of Greece reminds some, basic, rights that consumers have during the specific periods in order to make purchases more safely and prudently. Specifically:

-During the execution of the offers, the original and the new reduced price of the products, with reference to the appropriate unit of measurement per product, should be clearly indicated at the points where the offered products are sold.

-Each price reduction announcement indicates the previous price applied by the trader for a specified period of time before the price reduction was applied. Previous price means the lowest price applied by the merchant during a period of time no shorter than 30 days before the price reduction was applied. When the product has been on the market for less than 30 days, the previous price is the lowest price applied by the merchant during a 10-day period before the price reduction was applied. Where the price reduction is progressively increased, the previous price is the price without the price reduction before the first application of the price reduction.

– When conducting discounts, in addition to indicating the old and new reduced price of the goods and services sold at a discount, it is also allowed to indicate and commercialize the percentage of the discount. If a reduced price is provided for more than 60% of all items sold, the discount percentage provided should be indicated on the shop window and in any other commercial communication, and in the event that there are different discount percentages per product category, it should be indicated the range of the percentage provided (“from …. % to …. %”). In any other case, it will be stated that the discounts concern selected items with reference to the corresponding percentage.

-STOCK or OUTLET stores are required to write on the signs provided for by the applicable provisions: (a) the old sale price, deleted and (b) the new reduced sale price, in a way that communicates to the consumer the clear distinction between the two these prices. Optionally, it is allowed to indicate the percentage of the reduction inside the store and in any other commercial communication with the consumer. During the periods of sales or offers, these stores are obliged to display on the signs all intermediate prices deleted and, in bold type, the new reduced sale price and to indicate in any other commercial communication only the words “sales”, “offers”.

– If the discounts, offers or any price reduction announcement is inaccurate or misleading as to the percentage of the discount or as to the prices or as to the quantity of products offered at a discount or on offer or involves any form of concealment or deception, at the merchant’s expense a fine of up to 2% of the annual turnover and in any case not less than 20,000 euros. If the trader is fined a second time for the same infringement within a period of five years, the maximum amount of the fine is increased to 4% of his annual turnover.