Majority back longer shop hours

By Constantinos Psillides

THE majority of Cypriot consumers favour the new extended shop hours and admit that it has made life easier for them, according to a research commissioned by the retailers association.

Retailers associations – including the Cyprus Fruitmarket and the Cyprus Supermarket associations – on Tuesday presented their findings to convince the government to extend the decree allowing them to stay open on Wednesday afternoon and on Sunday.

The decree for extended hours was introduced by the government in July 2013 to encourage consumerism and boost the economy.

Repeated decrees basically said that shop hours that applied in tourist zones now applied everywhere.

According to the research’s findings, 63 per cent of Cypriots have a positive view on the longer shop hours, while 75 per cent claim that the extension has helped them in some way.

Sixty-four per cent said they agree with the statement that stores and supermarkets should have the right to be open every day. And 59 per cent said that store owners should be allowed to stay open until late.

According to the research, 72 per cent of those interviewed said they had visited a store during the extended shop hours in the last month, an increase of 11 per cent in visitors than the year before.

Nine out of ten Cypriots said they visited a store during the extended shopping hours over the last year.

The research was conducted by Pulse Market research over July and August. A total of 1,009 individuals were interviewed.

A retail representative said the ‘one Sunday per month’ scenario currently being explored by the Labour ministry isn’t viable. “We in the retail market know full well that this kind of solution is doomed to fail because it doesn’t take the market’s realities into consideration,” he said.

On Monday shop workers held a demonstration to protest that reversal of the decree would lead to the 6,000 people employed by the sector over the last year losing their jobs.

“It’s counter-productive and not viable to keep that workforce. Those who tell the employees that they can keep their job even if the shopping hours are not extended are simply deceiving them,” the retail representative said.

The retailers’ association, including supermarkets, small businesses and fruit markets, has urged the government to rethink the possible non-renewal in September and called on all affected parties to intensify talks to find a solution that would benefit everyone.

Labour Minister Zeta Emilianidou has said the matter will be decided at the end of the week.

Meanwhile, the Pancyprian association of kiosk owners said that if supermarkets remain closed on Sundays it would give the island’s 1,700 kiosks a better chance of survivial.

The association said that as a result of the longer shop hours 1,500 people have lost their jobs as 600 kiosks have been forced to close.