Shopping activity for “last-minute” supplies has been observed since the morning in the market of Thessaloniki, with consumers appearing more restrained in terms of the quantities of their purchases, however, compared to last year, according to business representatives. Occupancy rates are high for tonight at the city’s hotels, which are showing an improved picture compared to Christmas, with several foreign visitors having chosen Thessaloniki for this year’s revelry. In the city’s pastry shops, where queues have already begun to form early in the morning, some confectioners have rushed to incorporate the “mania” for Dubai chocolate into their melomakarona and brioches, with sweet lovers welcoming the Melomakarona and tsoureki, with sweet lovers welcoming the …novelty and supplying them for the holiday table.

“Thessaloniki will be completely full”: with this phrase, the president of the Union of Hoteliers (EXT), Andreas Mandrinos, describes to APE-MPA the picture for tonight, New Year’s Eve, noting that, in general, the traffic is “much better” compared to Christmas. For tonight’s festive evening, the average occupancy rate at the city’s hotels is estimated at about 90%, thanks also to foreign visitors – mainly Balkans, Turks and some travelers from the rest of Europe – who this year preferred Thessaloniki to welcome the New Year.

According to Marios Papadopoulos, president of the Society of Confectioners’ Guild and the Trade Chamber of Thessaloniki (VETH), the traffic in confectionery shops is up this year, but although prices are at the same level as last year, consumers are leaving the shops with less full bags than last year. “It’s positive that Greeks are now choosing the confectionery shop for their dessert, but households don’t have the same power as before, the bag is left emptier. Thanks to the increased traffic, many businesses will see a 10%-15% increase in turnover this year, but this has to be assessed in conjunction with production costs, which are up 50%. Just look at the cost of energy, the problem is becoming obvious, until recently we were paying 8.5-9 euros per kilowatt hour and we have reached 17-18, sometimes up to 20-22,” he points out, as he stands in a pastry shop full of people, where next to the traditional sweets, Dubai melomakaron and brioche is also on display.

“Melomakarona, kourabiedes, isli, tsourekene, grated, polite, all of these only from pastry shops. Besides, Thessaloniki is a city of sweets and with the bull of the municipality, while for the first time in Greece, the president of a Chamber of Crafts of the country is a pastry chef,” Papadopoulos said, speaking to APE-MPA. The number of new year’s pies that will be sold by confectioners this year is estimated at 100,000 to 150,000 kilos.

Melomakarona – kourabies: Mark seven – three

95% of consumers “vote” for the brioche Christmas cake, leaving less than 5% for the other versions, e.g., with chocolate coating, while in the dilemma “melomakarona or kourabies?”, the former prevail …by far in a ratio of seven to three, as the president of the Association of Bakers of the prefecture of Thessaloniki “Profitis Elias”, Elsa Koukumeria, tells APE-MPE. Koukumeria notes that consumers are rushing to the bakeries – “even though the holidays “fell” strangely this year and many had said they would be away from Thessaloniki“. There are queues and “both those inside and outside must be equipped with patience”, he says.

The prices of the βασιλόπιτα range from 14-17 euros per kilo, depending on the type and the coating, while melomakarona and kourabiedes are at last year’s levels of 13-16 euros per kilo for the former and 16-19 euros per kilo for the latter. It is recalled that for this year, the bakers of Thessaloniki had planned to bake more than 500,000 kilos of Christmas cake in total.

Consumers are shopping more purposefully this year for the New Year’s table, as the president of the Association of Butchers of Thessaloniki, Nikos Balabanidis, told APE-MPE. “Prices for most types of meat are at last year’s levels and the same applies to the movement in butchers. However, the consumer is now moving more purposefully in terms of shopping. In the past, he would walk into the butcher shop, look around and say ‘put me some of this and some of that’ and eventually take everything. Now, he knows what he wants to buy for the table and buys only that,” he points out, conveying the market picture and adding that butcher shop turnover this year is down at least 15% compared to last year.

According to Balabanidis, consumers are mainly buying pork for the New Year’s table. Lamb and goat are sold out as of yesterday, as is turkey, with many consumers buying chicken to replace it. “Meat prices are at last year’s levels, with the exception of veal, which is “pinched” by about 13%,” Mr Balabanidis concluded.

“Huge demand” for restaurants already from the beginning of December

The times before the economic crisis of 2009 in Greece are reminiscent of the times before the 2009 economic crisis in Greece, as the demand that manifested itself this year, already from the beginning of December, for revelry in the restaurants of Thessaloniki, as the general secretary of the Association of Restaurants, Grillers and Cafe Bars of Thessaloniki, Michalis Koucouxides, points out to APE-MPA.

To what can this picture be attributed at a time when accuracy persists? “After the pandemic, people have a strong desire to go out, to have fun. They may order less, for example not to get appetizers or ask for six courses instead of eight, but they will go out with their family or friends. In restaurants, the tables available for tonight’s evening are few and far between, since most of them have been closed for two weeks now. Only in fish taverns can one find a table,” he notes, recalling that many businesses offer festive menus, in a price range of 30-100 euros/person, which usually includes a bottle of wine. Similarly, high occupancy rates are also found in the city’s bars. “Pre-bookings at the bars are hovering around 60%-70% for tonight, but the picture in terms of occupancy rates will change as we go along, as younger patrons are not used to making reservations,” he says.

How many people are buying?

“Yes, there are too many people moving around the market today. The question is how many are buying. We don’t see bags and bags going around and I am not talking about the multinationals and chains, I am talking about the small and medium shop. Foreign visitors we have many in Thessaloniki this year, buyers we have few, “says, speaking to AP-MPA, the president of the Commercial Association of Thessaloniki (ESTH), Pantelis Filippidis, adding that the picture was further worsened when the Christmas gift of public employees was abolished. As he notes, these days the picture is more positive compared to the rest of the year, which gives shopkeepers hope that things can get better, but “unfortunately a few days do not solve the problem of a year.”

According to Filippidis, 2025 will be a difficult year, as the problems that rocked small and medium-sized business in 2024 still exist and, he says, there has not been sufficient support from the state. “The products we sell, clothes, shoes, have become second necessities, they have come to be considered luxuries when there is so much precision that consumers are trying to get the necessities from the supermarket or put expensive petrol in the tank. At the same time, energy is also very expensive and a large part of the population burdened with red loans is living in stress and anxiety. The situation does not give the consumer the leeway to come and buy,” Filippidis argues.

It is recalled that today, New Year’s Eve, the shops in Thessaloniki will be open until six in the afternoon, giving consumers the opportunity to make purchases until the last minute. On New Year’s Day they will remain closed, while the Commercial Association proposes not to open on January 2 “as is traditional and customary”.