Shops across the country remain open today, the last Sunday of the year, giving consumers another chance to shop before 2025 expires. Only a few days now remain for forecasts for this year’s holiday shopping to be confirmed or revised.

The president of the Piraeus Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Piraeus Chamber of Commerce and Industry), Vassilis Korkidis, in a statement to RES-MPE, estimating the “Christmas turnover” of 2025 by sector in Greece, noted the following:

The term “Christmas market” can mean either total retail sales during the festive season or specific revenues from traditional Christmas markets and tourist flows. Available holiday sales figures are estimates and usually refer to the whole month statistics for December. Forecasts for 2025 show a stabilisation of consumer spending with an expected increase of 2.5-5% based mainly on inflationary pressures in the year.

December accounts for about 6% of annual retail sales. The “average” month is 8.3% (1/12), so December is not the biggest month in absolute terms, but it is the strongest month in categories such as food, gifts, apparel, toys, and electronics. In fuel, it is more evenly distributed throughout the year. December also shows high trading and liquidity, but not necessarily the highest monthly value of the year, held by the three summer months at over 9% and around €6.5 billion each.

Specifically, the retail turnover in December 2024 was 4.3 billion euros, and as always, it relates to domestic consumption in food, fuel, cars, clothing, electrical goods, etc. Wholesale trade in December 2024 was €13 billion, and in addition to the distribution of products, industrial goods, and raw materials, it also includes exports worth €4.1 billion. Food and beverages absorb more than 1/3 of the festive spending on tables and gifts. High-value gifts such as jewellery boost the average purchase, while clothing and footwear remain a key preference with more targeted purchases.

SMEs are concentrating much of the turnover in the gift, cosmetics, and book sectors. 6 in 10 Greek consumers plan to spend about the same this year as last year, while 13% plan to spend more in the 2025 holiday season. Precision and high food prices are certainly affecting almost all shopping ahead of Christmas. International forecasts show modest holiday sales growth of 3.7%-4.2% for the December 2025 period.

According to ELSTAT, turnover for retail businessesin December last year was €4.3 billion c for businesses with a double-entry bookkeeping requirement, up 5.5-5.8% compared to December 2023. For businesses excluding the vehicle, food and fuel sectors, turnover in December 2024 was around 1.39 billion euros. Turnover for small and medium-sized enterprises in retail trade in December 2024 was about €1.42 billion, while excluding vehicles-food-fuel, it was about €0.65 billion.

An estimate of the “Christmas turnover” for 2025 by sector in Greece shows that it will be close to 4.5 billion euros. An “approximate” analysis on 10 sectors shows that this year with a 34% share in food and beverages will also be spent the most with about 1.53 billion euros. In clothing with a 14% share of around 620 million euros and in footwear with 7% around 310 million euros In electrical and electronic goods with a 15% share, around 670 million euros. In toys with a 6% share of around €270 million. Cosmetics with a 5% share of around €230 million. Household equipment has a 6% share of around €270 million. Books and cultural goods have a 3% share of around €140 million. In jewellery and watches, with a 4% share of around €180 million. Finally, for the rest, seasonal gifts and decorations with a share of 6% of around 260 million euros.

For his part, speaking to reporters, the vice president of the Athens Chamber of Commerce, Nikos Koyoumtsis, described a relatively subdued picture of the market during the festive period, attributing it mainly to the reduced purchasing power of consumers.

As he explained, although the Christmas gift to private employees gave a small boost, this year’s gifts are of lower value, with higher expectations for the week between Christmas and New Year. He stressed that most of the income is going towards fixed obligations rather than consumption, and urged support for neighbourhood shops, which he called the “backbone” of the economy and employment.

Here come the discounts

As the holidays are already winding down, market interest is already shifting to the next opportunity for increased sales.

The 2026 Winter Sale is expected to begin on Monday, January 12, and run through the end of February, offering shopping opportunities in apparel, footwear, electronics, and other items.

As noted by the trade associations, participation by businesses is voluntary, but those who take part must strictly adhere to transparency rules, with clear indication of the original and reduced prices so that consumers can assess the real benefit.

Thus, with shops open on the last Sunday of the year, the market taking stock of its festive account and discounts just around the corner, the trade is moving from the festive peak to the winter price “battle”, hoping for a new boost in consumption in the first two months of the New Year.