Athens Shopping
Downtown Athens has pedestrianised many of its central shopping streets, which makes shopping in the city a more pleasant experience than it could be. However, pedestrian congestion can be almost as bad as Athens’s famous traffic at times, or so it seems.
A curious feature of Athens is that stores with similar merchandise tend to cluster together, so you have no problem getting competitive prices no matter what you might be looking for.
Note that your shopping plans may be affected by Greek public holidays.
Where to Shop
Best Areas
Athens is a modern city as well as an ancient one and you’ll find international shopping in the major stores of the new town, around Constitution Square. Ermou is undoubtedly the main shopping street. It progresses from the square and is a completely pedestrianised thoroughfare lined with international shops selling the latest in couture, music and generally any goods you could imagine.
Eolou bisects Ermou and continues on to pass the central market, well worth a look in itself. Eolou offers slightly more bargains than Ermou and you’ll find more independent shops among the mainstream offerings here. Eolou is also the favoured haunt of street vendors and hawkers (not that they’re too shy anywhere in the city).
Despite this abundance of excellent shopping in the modern town many tourists prefer to seek out distinctive Greek arts and crafts in a more authentic atmosphere. The buying and selling of genuine antiquities is illegal but there are still plenty of Athenians who have kept “ancient” crafts alive and are eager to sell facsimiles of artefacts to tourists.
Markets
The Plaka is the best area to shop for craft items, as well as the few antiques that are allowed to leave the country. The area’s flea market is the best hunting ground as many of the permanent shops deal mainly in tacky tourist souvenirs. The market is at its biggest on Sundays.
Another good Sunday market is the fleamarket on Monastiraki which is packed with colourful people and an eclectic range of merchandise.
The National Welfare Organisation’s Hellenic Folk Art Gallery at the corner of Apollonos and Ipatias, also in the Plaka, is worth a look as well.
What to Buy
The best souvenirs are arts and crafts - but be warned, the authorities take a very dim view of tourists caught with even the smallest piece of rubble from ancient sites and you are advised not to purchase anything of the kind from unscrupulous locals.
You could find yourself the subject of a grilling from the police at the airport if you’re carrying something that too closely resembles a genuine artefact without documentation to prove it is either i) a legal exception or ii) fake.
That said, more conventional antiques are a good buy in Athens and you should keep your eye out for bargains among the smaller shops in the city; furniture and fabrics are favourites. Athens is also a good place to pick up the famous furs from Kastoria, in Macedonia in the North of Greece. Specialist shops in Athens carry coats and accessories made by Kastoria’s traditional furriers.
Gold is a particularly good buy in Athens. The two traditional names are Lilas Lalaounis and Zolotas, the former with outlets throughout the city and the latter with a shop at Stadiou 9. Fanourakis (Evangelistrias 2) specialises in women’s jewellery and delicate creations with some unique designs.
Foodstuffs are always popular - particularly rural produce such as olives and retsina, the not always palatable local wine. And of course everyone brings back a bottle or two of ouzo, with the aniseed spirit being a fixture in the back of many a drinks cabinet abroad.
Opening Hours
Shops tend to close for a couple of hours during the afternoon, meaning they are generally open from 09h00-13h30 and again from 15h30-20h30, Mon-Fri. Weekend opening is quite often restricted to 09h00-15h00 Sat. In the summer a lot of shops choose to open earlier and close later.
Tax Refund
A sales tax (VAT) of 19% is levied on most goods and services in Greece. When leaving the country, non-European tourists can apply for a tax refund on any goods bought that are to be exported. The minimum purchase to qualify for a refund is EUR120.
To reclaim tax you need to request a VAT refund request form, when you make a purchase. Customs officials must stamp these documents as you leave the country and the refund will be processed and sent to you.
Alternatively, you can purchase goods from shops participating in Europe Tax-free Shopping programme (look out for the ETS logo displayed in the window). Simply show your passport when you make a purchase and you will be given a Tax-free Shopping cheque to the value of the refund you are owed. As you leave the country, customs officials will stamp your cheques. You can claim your refund immediately from the Europe Tax-free Shopping desk or have it sent to you.
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