Cypriot consumers do their Easter shopping at the last minute, Executive Secretary of the Cyprus Supermarkets Association, Andreas Hadjiadamou, told CNA on Thursday, while General Secretary of the Cyprus Confederation of Professional Craftsmen and Shopkeepers (CyCPOVEK), Stephanos Koursaris said that consumers are limiting themselves to buying just the essentials for the Easter feast, noting that financial constraints have changed the consumption habits of shoppers.

"As usual, (shopping) will peak today, more so tomorrow and Saturday. It is always like this, it is typical of Cypriots to wait for the last few days, as far as the Easter celebration is concerned," Hadjiadamou noted.

He added that Cypriots make sure that nothing is missing from the festive table, regardless of prevailing conditions.

Asked about price levels, he said there are some price increases, but there are also some decreases, as the observatories show.

"We are stressing that we all need to be careful about price increases", he noted, adding that Supermarkets are doing their best to ensure that prices are always reasonable and fair. "We absorb increases to a large extent, we put a lot of pressure on suppliers and the supply chain where we see that there are constant increases and unjustified increases", he highlighted.

He noted that the prices of Easter treats are at last year's levels, adding that there are also "big" promotions, especially during the festive seasons, to offer the consumer "the best they can."

Consumers are limiting themselves to buying "just the essentials for the Easter table," CyCPOVEK General Secretary, Stefanos Koursaris told CNA, noting that financial constraints have changed the consumption habits of shoppers.

He underlined that shopping traffic "certainly does not remind us of old times". "People's mindset has changed. They are no longer used to waiting for Easter to buy something new, neither for themselves nor for their children," he said.

Moreover, he added that there is also a financial constraint. He said that the recent increase in fuel, electricity costs, and overall inflation have significantly affected the consumer.

"What consumers will certainly make sure is that they will not be deprived of the essentials. They will sacrifice a large part of their monthly income in buying essentials for the Easter table," he said.

He noted that the increases in fuel prices have also affected product prices, as enterprises can no longer absorb them. However, he noted that the need for shopkeepers to have increased consumption during the festive season is so great that a large proportion of businesses have been absorbing them. "There are good prices and the consumers can have choices".