Early ‘official’ sales period starts to boost business

DESPITE many shops having started their sales before Christmas, the Pancyprian Association of Clothing and Footwear a member of the small shopkeepers union POVEK, announced that the official  winter sales period began yesterday. 

“The sales are just the continued reduction in prices, a phenomenon,  which has been recorded by the commerce ministry over the last three years,” a statement from POVEK said.

“Our aim is for all the consumers to be given the opportunity to buy cheaper goods so small family businesses and the marketplace in general can be revitalised,” it added.

The Supreme Court ruled last October that the law regulating sales restricts the right to sell goods at discount prices outside the set time periods and was in violation of the relevant EU directive.

 It ruled on an appeal filed by the Shacolas Group against a district court decision finding it in violation of the sales law, allowing any business to put sales on at any time of the year. 

Before the ruling the winter sales season would officially start on the first Monday of February until the fourth Saturday of the month, and the summer sales season would start on the first Monday of August until the fourth Saturday of the month.

“The sale of goods at discount prices without time restrictions is not banned by the European directive which, on the contrary, prohibits member states from introducing and keeping in force legal measures that are stricter than the ones in the directive and measures that restrict the free movement of goods,” the Shacolas Group said.

Speaking on the radio yesterday, Lakis Zoides, head of the Pancyprian Association of Clothing and Footwear said that the Supreme Court’s decision was respected but some kind of order needed to exist within the marketplace. “We believe there needs to be specific sales periods with the consumer kept up-to-date as to the goings on with specific framework for shops to work within,” he said. “We will be going to see the Attorney-general next week to see if we can put legislation in place for specific sales periods or to at least have a deal in principal,” he added.

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