Cyprus Mail 25 November 2020 - by Jonathan Shkurko
With coronavirus measures in place denting the number of people visiting shops, many across the island are extending the upcoming Black Friday offers to Sunday to maximise their uptake.
Online shopping is also being promoted, especially in Paphos and Limassol, both under lockdown until the end of the month
Speaking to Cyprus Mail, president of the Cyprus Retail Association Marios Antoniou said shops on the island this year have had to adapt to the pandemic and upgrade their e-stores to boost sales.
“Paphos and Limassol are under lockdown, but we also have to bear in mind that potential customers in Nicosia and Larnaca might prefer to shop online this year so as not to cram into closed spaces,” he said.
Antoniou also added that the outbreak has accelerated the transition from physical to online stores, claiming, however, that the difficult scenario faced in 2020 could offer better solutions for shops in the future.
“Cyprus is behind the rest of Europe as far as e-commerce is concerned, that is a fact.
“We can no longer ignore that more and more people are buying their goods online now, regardless of the pandemic. Black Friday was the perfect opportunity for shops in Cyprus to expand their online presence.
“The virus will go away sooner or later, but the online shopping trend is here to stay and we need to adapt to the situation in the long run,” Antoniou said.
It is not just stand-alone stores, those in malls are also finding e-commerce a crucial tool.
“Most shops have extended their Black Friday sales until the end of the week to boost their sales,” marketing manager of the Mall of Cyprus George Pissis told the Cyprus Mail.
“Regardless of the fact that coming to the mall is absolutely safe, some might feel safer knowing they can do their shopping online, which is why e-commerce is being increased and improved this year.”
