Zara opens in Athens

‘Nuf said. But, just in case you’re not clear, if Zara is there, there is business to be done. Opening in Athens last month, Zara created an immersive experience with its Zara Cafe, offering classic Koulouri and Greek coffee in a gorgeous setting, all branded Zara in the hometown colors of crisp blue and white. This is a clear tip-off, as it relates to the commercial viability of the location, that if you’re looking for fresh inspiration and ideation for brands, businesses, and consumer leanings, Athens is a good place to go. Though summer partying in Greece has been going on for some time, over 32.7 million tourists visited Greece last year, resulting in roughly €20.5 billion in income, according to data from the Bank of Greece, this represents a 15.7 percent increase from 2022.

The Greek brand gods

Local brands, turned global, are showing their patriotism with expanded and refreshed showplaces for their Greek-founded businesses. Ancient Greek Sandals, apparel label Zeus + Dione, and jeweler Nikos Koulis are among the Greek-brands-made-good, modernizing the definition of luxury brand and retail flagship, while celebrating homegrown techniques and artisans. Part of the appeal here is the pride of place and heritage shared with shoppers interacting with these masterful entrepreneurs. Multi-brand retail concepts and luxury brands fill out the retail offering, with made-to-order shops sprinkled in, creating a robust and interesting shopping environment.

A few shops we recommend checking out:

Mouki Mou - designer curation of polished, elegant brands Bettina- women's lifestyle luxury apparel and accessories F-by-Φ - concept shop with Greek Islands feel Attica- we always go to the best department store in every city, it says a lot about the location

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