Sunday opening boosts shopping, especially by tourists

In its third post-bailout assessment published on Wednesday, the European Commission revealed an eightfold increase in card transactions in areas of Greece where stores are open most Sundays compared to the period before measures allowing shops to open on Sundays were introduced.

In those areas there was also considerable growth in the share of transactions conducted by cards issued abroad, which is a sign that stores which open on Sundays attract tourists in particular.

In its report, Brussels cites a survey conducted in January by the Center of Planning and Economic Research (KEPE), while noting that there were limitations in the availability of data and that in 2018 there was a general economic recovery.

The increase in the value of card transactions on Sundays in the areas affected by the aforementioned measures (such as the City of Athens, where stores are...