December online transactions save face

Online turnover declined 11% last month compared to December 2019, according to data the Finance Ministry has collected.

In April, the full month of lockdown during the first wave of the pandemic, the decline came to 21%, so it appears that the click-and-collect system and the Christmas effect saved a part of retail turnover.

Last March, when the pandemic started in Greece, online turnover dropped 4%, and after the April slump it posted a 9% fall in May. In lockdown-free October it was also at 11% while in November it amounted to 13%, with the shops open in the first week.

There were clear winners and losers in December: The winners included accountants (with a 40% jump in online transactions), bakeries (up 50%), computer repair shops (up 60%), fast-food outlets (90%), pet shops (51%) and of course courier companies, which saw a 69% jump.

December’s biggest losers were cinemas with a 100% decline, followed by theaters (down 97%), travel agencies (87%) duty-free shops (82%), and restaurants and bars on 70% – thanks to some takeaway and delivery business.