Greece
According to Greek law (Articles 12 and 13 of 3377/2005) shops can open at any time after 05:00. From Monday to Friday, shops may operate until 21:00 and on Saturdays until 20:00. During these hours shop owners may operate (or not) their business as they please. Shops are closed on Sundays. Most local traders associations define common shopping hours for the region, usually:
Monday and Wednesday:
- 09:00-14:00
Tuesday, Thursday and Friday:
- 09:00-14:00 & 17:00-20:00
Saturday:
- 09:00-14:00
Usually most shops follow this schedule, with the exception of big stores and malls that operate during the whole permitted time by law.
These opening hours do not apply to nightclubs and related establishments, gasoline filling stations, restaurants, patisseries, florist shops, kiosks and shops in the same class as kiosks, photographic studios, retail shops selling only dried fruit and nuts: there, special regulations apply (Article 42 of Law 1892/1990 and Article 14 of Law 2194/1994).
In (strictly designated) tourist areas, the (respective) prefecture may extend the opening hours for certain shops. The Ministry of Tourism must approve the designation of an area as "tourist". Local workers and employers organizations must be consulted before any decision to extend of opening hours, but their approval is not required. The decisions must be published in the local daily press.
In practice, shops are also permitted to operate two Sundays in December by order of the prefecture. urthermore, as the majority of Greece is designated as an "tourist area", most prefectures have the ability to extend the opening hours.
Read more about this topic: Shopping Hours
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