PAPHOS SHOPPING CENTRE - FLEXIBILITY IN HOURS DUE TO NIGHT CROWDS?

 Filenews 3 September 2020 - by Dora Christodoulou

There is the possibility of flexible opening hours of shops in the re-created shopping centre of Paphos, in order for retail shops to take advantage of the huge increase in traffic in the recreation centers of the area, especially during the evening hours.

Information from "F" indicates that during this period the prospect of flexible working hours is gaining more and more ground, since more and more traders in the center and especially in the shopping streets of Archbishop Makarios, Paphos Chrysanthos and Nikodimos Mylonas, recognize that it is useless for them to operate within the conventional hours at a time when these hours in the shopping center prevail "dead" in their expression.

"From 8.00-9.00 at night," they point out, "the area is crowded on a daily basis. It's a shame at those very times that the shops close, whereas all the day before they don't even make a turnover. We will have to decide whether it is in the interests of the shopkeepers themselves to change their hours so that those hundreds of citizens who every night enjoy their way out of the area can also enter our shops."

Shopkeepers promoting this prospect told PafosNet that until now the issue had not been put on the table either because of trade unions or because most of the region's commercial enterprises are family-owned and therefore many did not want to sacrifice hours of personal and family rest for such changes. They argued, however, that the gap in economic activity between retail and leisure centres in the re-created shopping centre of Paphos is now so great that it is a shame to close shops while food and drink businesses bring people to the area every night.

We recall that in the last two years municipal councillors have also submitted a proposal to the Municipality of Paphos, on the initiative of the municipal councillor of DIKO Eros Loizidis, in order to revitalize the area.

"The Municipality has a responsibility to find ways and motivate people to embrace and love the Paphos market," Mr. Loizidis pointed out. "This proposal can be discussed and enriched with other suggestions and ideas, so as to do something good and organized for the proper development of the old market area. The sustainability and development of this area is a bet that we as a local authority must win."