Exclusively through e-commerce and pharmacy consumers in areas of very high risk (deep red) can obtain cosmetics, as the EIA published in the Official Gazette of 20 February - and reaffirmed in a new Official Gazette of 6 March - banned their sale from supermarket shelves. The new ban, which applies to almost the entire country (Attica, Thessaloniki, Achaia, Arkadia, Larissa, Fthiotida, Argolida, Corinthia, Boeotia, Thesprotia, Arta, Aitoloakarnania, Rhodes, Heraklion, etc.), comes after the reaction of large specialized cosmetics chains, as has happened with other sectors in the recent past (clothing, footwear, electrical goods, toys, seasonal goods, etc.).
In particular, the latest EIA states that supermarkets in high risk areas shall prohibit the retail sale of perfumes and bologna from supermarkets (CN code 47.75.76.02) and retail trade in beauty, make-up and skin care preparations (including sunscreens) not elsewhere classified (n.e.c. 47.75.76.12). These products may be sold by supermarkets only through e-commerce.
The chains and individual cosmetics outlets, as well as hairdressers and beauty and nail studios, are complaining about months of under-use and want to prevent the possibility of consumers moving from their network to supermarkets to buy these products.
Indicative is the open letter of Wella Hellas, a subsidiary of the German multinational, in which it highlights the risk for thousands of small and medium-sized enterprises whose financial loss from the pandemic tends to become irreversible. The company is essentially conveying the anguish of the more than 20,000 businesses, estimated to be hairdressers, barbers and beauty and limb care salons in Greece, which employ more than 60,000 professionals.
Based on the data of the Greek Statistical Service, the sector of cosmetics stores is among the big losers of the pandemic, since they lost in 2020 lost about 360 million euros, with «leaks» to both supermarkets and mainly to pharmacies.
In fact, the drop in sales experienced by cosmetics retailers (-39.4%) in 2020 is greater than that of clothing (-36.6%) and footwear (-34.9%).
