Return to normality from 2022 onwards, 44% average decrease in turnover due to the pandemic and 69% estimate that the measures taken by the State to support businesses are insufficient and ineffective, are some of the most important conclusions Research of Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Thessaloniki.
The survey was conducted by the company Palmos Analysis on behalf of HELLENIC CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY in a sample of 255 businesses-members of the Chamber by completing online questionnaires between 8-13 January.
In particular, the 84% of business replies that it has been affected by the crisis caused by the pandemic and the 81% states that it has recorded a decrease in turnover. A return to a normal level of operations is a «pipe dream» for most businesses this year, with only 10% expecting a return to a normal level of operations in the first half of the year, by end of 2021 the 20%, from 2022 the 56% and there is also a 2% percentage that answers «never».
e-shop and click away
Of particular interest are the findings of the survey on e-commerce and sales via e-shop or click away. It goes without saying that the retail businesses surveyed are familiar with the internet and in this context 39% of them have an e-shop, 72% have a website, 80% have a Facebook presence and 56% have an Instagram presence. However, only 39% of them made click away sales during the holiday season.
Turnover for the recent festive season was also very low for the retailers surveyed, as it averaged no more than 28% of sales for the 2019 festive season.
Support measures for businesses
In the field of the measures taken by the government to support the economy, businesses rate them as follows (in order from most important to least important): first comes the reduction in the payment of rent for commercial premises for the months of January and February, followed by the Refundable Deposit, the suspension of employment contracts for employees, the payment of special purpose compensation for employees and freelancers, etc.
As regards the overall assessment of 2020, it is comforting that 74% of enterprises retained jobs. In relation to exports, 50% of businesses responded that 2020 was a worse year than 2019 (a significantly higher percentage than the corresponding 24% of the comparison between 2019 and 2018 in a previous survey of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry).
For 2021 and its prospects, business estimates are divided. 23% expects better than 2020, 34% expects worse than last year and 39% expects about the same as last year. A large percentage of firms (61%) expect their liquidity to shrink in the next quarter and a correspondingly large percentage (44%) believe that their borrowing needs will increase in the same period.
Finally, close to the memorandum levels (69%), the negative assessment of enterprises on the viability of their sector in the next quarter is back to the negative level (69%), compared to today, i.e. an increase in bad debts and company bankruptcies are essentially foreseen.
