In what concerns sales in Cyprus, chaos prevails, as noted by the Pancyprian Organisation of Professional Craftsmen and Shopkeepers (POVEK), according to its Secretary-General, Stefanos Koursaris.
He emphasized that this chaos stems from the absence of legislative regulation governing sales periods in all stores.
Koursaris stated that since the abolition of legislation regulating sales in 2006, there has been “anarchy, with each store owner acting as they please.”
He pointed out that out of the 27 EU member countries, 25 have a legal or institutional framework, a situation not mirrored in our country.
According to Koursaris, this raises the question of whether Cyprus is outdated or highly advanced, leaning towards the former, he noted.
Koursaris highlighted that POVEK has repeatedly urged the Ministry of Commerce to take the initiative to convene a meeting involving consumer associations and employers’ organizations.
The purpose would be to discuss the adoption of legislation regulating sales and finding solutions to the problems that arise.
He stressed that such actions are necessary to establish specific sales periods, which could occur up to four times a year.
This would also allow consumers to compare prices and make purchases based on their financial capabilities.
Koursaris also warned of the risk of “eliminating the institution of sales” due to the adoption of unfair practices by business owners.
He explained that it is not possible for a store to advertise discounts 365 days a year, as it constitutes a “degeneration of the institution and creates suspicious consumers.”
Referring to the issue of “crackdown products,” Koursaris pointed out that this creates problems in the market, particularly in healthy competition, negatively impacting the economy and consumers themselves.
He also labeled the phenomenon of increased prices before Christmas as an unfair practice.
When asked about complaints made to POVEK, Koursaris stated that, at this stage, they do not have specific complaints or grievances, which may be directed towards consumer associations.
In conclusion, the Secretary-General of POVEK reiterated that “anarchy in sales creates unhealthy phenomena, such as advertisements that sometimes target and achieve the deception of consumers.”