Trade with Greece
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contributed 11% of Greece’s GDP. During the cri-
sis (2008-2014), commerce suffered severe pres-
sures, which led to the loss of almost 100,000
enterprises and 220,000 jobs.
A key feature of the sector is the great number of
small and micro enterprises, which are struggling
to cope with increasing competition.
Commerce, a principally open profession, is
indeed characterised by certain peculiarities,
which are related to the fluctuations of the market,
the direct contact with consumers and the
increased risks Greek small and medium-sized
entrepreneurs are called to undertake.
According to the business community, the most
urgent issue for Greece is the creation of new
enterprises and jobs for 1.3 million ex-employers
and wage earners, who found themselves out of
work. The improvement of the economy’s per-
formance is expected to enable young people to
