"Blow in the gut" inflicted on kiosks by the coronavirus crisis

Between 20% and 30% of the kiosks operating in the tourist areas of Athens and in the center of the capital have been forced to close or are underutilized due to the quarantine and the pandemic.

This was announced by Christos Konturis, vice president of the Athens Association of Kiosks and member of the board of directors of the Athens Chamber of Commerce.

“The kiosk is one of the sectors that have been significantly affected by the pandemic. Between 20% and 30% of businesses operating in the tourist areas of Athens and the city center have either closed or are operating minimally.

In fact, the blow is even more significant than it might seem at first glance.

There is a large percentage of this type of business, enterprises that, although they show a decrease in turnover by less than 20% (which is mainly associated with non-commercial products, such as the sale of cigarettes and all kinds of cards), this means that their profitability as a whole has significantly decreased ( more than 20%). However, this profit figure deprives the aforementioned kiosk companies of hope for government assistance, while at the same time calling into question their survival.

As additional measures, I will insist, first of all, on the horizontal suspension of employees of all kiosks (οριζόντια αναστολή των υπαλλήλων σε όλα τα περίπτερα) and a three-year extension of the deferral of rent to municipalities.

Especially for kiosks located in the center of Athens, legislative regulation of their debts to municipalities is of great importance. Whether business ventures survive depends to a large extent on whether the government decides to “cut” (debt) in many sectors (tax, insurance, public, etc.).

The business is easily closed with the help of a decree. But it is not easy to open it. And for those who can survive the pandemic, it will take up to 3 years to return to the previous level, ”said Mr. Konturis.

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