The latest impression is causing the... wave of closed shopping shops in center of Thessaloniki, as you read in relevant report by Voria.gr
What is surprising is the fact that Even in «impregnable» commercial roads of the center, such as Tsimiski, Metropolis and Agia Sophia, the number of closed and open shops is two-digit - and lately it's growing. For the economic and productive ecosystem of Thessaloniki, based essentially on the tertiary sector, namely services and trade, the issue is of interest. There is concern, which is recorded in the – primarily spasmodic – reaction of the business collectives of Thessaloniki. Chambers and trade unions either indirectly or immediately request – demand – invite – beg (not necessarily in this order) for intervention by the state in order to minimise the short-term consequences of consumer malpractice recorded and has put several traders and small and medium-sized businesses in a difficult position. Equally crucial is the issue of the market path of the centre and for the wider society of the city in the sense that this area is together the mirror and the showcase of Thessaloniki, while it is a region with mixed - residential and commercial- use.
Unable to adjust
Of course, this issue cannot be settled by any type of state intervention. If there is such a thing - the scenario remains completely unlikely within the limits of the impossible - it may temporarily facilitate a few local trade and entrepreneurship, but it will create more problems than it is supposed to solve. The worst thing is that in the last decades of full liberalisation of trade similar phenomena have been observed, without necessarily due to a major economic crisis, but to the developments of a market that is constantly in motion – rent, time, Sunday operation etc. Situations that the commercial world itself often cannot recognise, accept, adapt, coordinate and - much more - manage. So in 30 – 40 years the image of the retail turnover in the center of Thessaloniki has been reversed. Where, in the 1980s, the vast majority of the proceeds were secured by individual stores, today more than 90% of the sales are due to department stores, malls and domestic and international chains, which are anchored in the hubs and by presumption best places in the area. This situation, which continues to develop at the expense of small shops, makes it even more difficult for any reaction effort, an image that refers to further deepening of the phenomenon. On the one hand individual stores - even in Tsimiski - will descend
Of course, this issue cannot be settled by any type of state intervention. If there is such a thing - the scenario remains completely unlikely within the limits of the impossible - it may temporarily facilitate a few local trade and entrepreneurship, but it will create more problems than it is supposed to solve. The worst thing is that in the last decades of full liberalisation of trade similar phenomena have been observed, without necessarily due to a major economic crisis, but to the developments of a market that is constantly in motion – rent, time, Sunday operation etc. Situations that the commercial world itself often cannot recognise, accept, adapt, coordinate and - much more - manage. So in 30 – 40 years the image of the retail turnover in the center of Thessaloniki has been reversed. Where, in the 1980s, the vast majority of the proceeds were secured by individual stores, today more than 90% of the sales are due to department stores, malls and domestic and international chains, which are anchored in the hubs and by presumption best places in the area. This situation, which continues to develop at the expense of small shops, makes it even more difficult for any reaction effort, an image that refers to further deepening of the phenomenon. On the one hand individual stores - even in Tsimiski - will descend
Three Changes
In this direction three are the key changes affecting developments:, the change in the structure of the Greek economy and business, for which margins of black turnover, grey profits and undeclared work are reduced. On the one hand, because of the important needs of the state and the public funds in the time of budgetary discipline and on the other because of the expansion of technology and in particular the digitization and the Artificial Intelligence, which the legislation is establishing and the control mechanisms are using. Today, the Public Administration is not prepared to turn a blind eye to tax evasion, tax avoidance, tax evasion, tax evasion and smuggling, as was the case - albeit to some extent - in the past, and there are also appropriate - and to some extent automated - tools to identify infringements and offenders. As long as, then, «white» The Greek economy, so much the air it contains will evaporate and the created vacuum will record casualties. Not by chance these days - always in the center of Thessaloniki - not only do they close shops of clothing and shoes, where there is a decrease in consumption, but also coffee, cheese pies and bread making, probably one of the cheapest prices on the street.
Second, The operation of the centre of Thessaloniki, due to the metro, the improvement of urban transport and the reduction of the number of cars, changes. The easiest approach and departure from the area cancels a number of needs that the same man had as... trapped, which affects his daily consumer needs and has implications for his daily consumer behavior.
Thirdly, changes the lifestyle, with a direct impact on consumer habits. The American style that has been cultivated for years by the standards of pop culture and has been adopted because it is convenient and comfortable, is no longer limited to the extensive use of blue jeans in everyday clothing, but does not only concern young people. After all, those who were young at 80’s, 90’s and 00’s grew up, without saving and good to abandon their habits. As for the even younger ones who – also as if you see an image of an American big city – run in a hurry with a coffee in their hand, have adopted standards of dress and behavior extremely economically than their parents and grandparents. They work with the laptop from the cafés - in some cases, when the weather helps, and from the parks - while in many cases their vestry fits into one or two bag of voillaz, containing clothes with a date of expiry and clearly economic price. Their - even limited - budget money is being promoted in different directions than even a few years ago. Anyone who doesn't see it is probably occupied by blindness, condition quite common in human history, even in more decisive and even more obvious situations. It is typical that the silversmiths of Thessaloniki, beyond the hours, the movement of the market, even the prices of precious metals that concern them directly, care much - more than anyone - for the observance of traditions, morals and customs. Because if religious marriage is replaced
changes the lifestyle, with a direct impact on consumer habits. The American style that has been cultivated for years by the standards of pop culture and has been adopted because it is convenient and comfortable, is no longer limited to the extensive use of blue jeans in everyday clothing, but does not only concern young people. After all, those who were young at 80’s, 90’s and 00’s grew up, without saving and good to abandon their habits. As for the even younger ones who – also as if you see an image of an American big city – run in a hurry with a coffee in their hand, have adopted standards of dress and behavior extremely economically than their parents and grandparents. They work with the laptop from the cafés - in some cases, when the weather helps, and from the parks - while in many cases their vestry fits into one or two bag of voillaz, containing clothes with a date of expiry and clearly economic price. Their - even limited - budget money is being promoted in different directions than even a few years ago. Anyone who doesn't see it is probably occupied by blindness, condition quite common in human history, even in more decisive and even more obvious situations. It is typical that the silversmiths of Thessaloniki, beyond the hours, the movement of the market, even the prices of precious metals that concern them directly, care much - more than anyone - for the observance of traditions, morals and customs. Because if religious marriage is replaced
Large real estate reserve To complete the picture as fully as possible, in these three changes that operate subcutaneously but absolutely decisively, one must add at least two more factors. Since in Greece - one of the few places in the world, if not the only - the building of a residential building means three, four or five shops on the ground floor of the apartment building, which somehow have to be used and delivered. Real estate that in some circumstances, in fact, had significant commercial value and made rich generations of Thessalonians who had guaranteed his productive capacity... income. Some of them - because they may not have a direct economic need - still ask for high rent, possibly corresponding to earlier times with different commercial characteristics, and are not in a hurry to grant them. Therefore, because the younger people of commerce and services are required to see things more businessy and therefore more technocratic and rational, without being content with the caption of a good passage, which (is supposed to) ensures traffic and turnover, since they do not want to work - apart from taxes and contributions - for rent, they avoid paying too much rent, which in some cases - always based on the situation under way - they probably move out of reasonable reality.
No response for trade and the market is simple, nor static. These issues are always multifactorial. At the top are the needs of society. The supply, demand and possibility of these two concepts meeting, covering and complementing each other. But some key issues have simple answers, despite the fact that issues relating to the mindset of traders and customers have, by definition, high doses of ambiguity. Nevertheless, they help to clear the landscape and horizon somehow, but also to answer some questions of the press. «How can there be single shops in Tsimiski?».
