Greeks are buying PlayStations and MacBooks and Playstations to cope with the financial crisis
Shoppers are worried the government will cap credit and debit card spending
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Your support makes all the difference.Greeks are reportedly rushing to buy MacBooks and Playstations as a way of investing their money, fearing that spending caps will be put on credit and debit card purchases.
As Greece falls further into financial turmoil, retailers revealed that expensive electronics had been flying off the shelves as panicked customers rushed to use credit and debit cards, fearing that they might soon not work.
“People are spending the money they have in the bank because otherwise they’re afraid they won’t get it out,” Natasa, 33, told Bloomberg.
Natasa, who asked not to have her full name used, is a shop assistant at Plaisio Computer SA in the centre of Athens and told the news organisation that buyers were of the opinion that “a Mac is something that keeps its value.”
Dixons Carphone Plc, which owns Greece’s largest electricals retailer, said it had seen a steady stream of shoppers in the midst of the national crisis, Bloomberg reported – adding that people were also scared prices would rocket should the country leave the euro.
The country’s government said following the weekend referendum that banks would have to stay shut until at least Thursday and that capital controls would be extended.
Long queues have been snaking from increasingly empty cash machines – withdrawals from which have a limit of €60. Debit and credit cards are as of yet not restricted but panic that they soon will be is thought to have been partially fuelling the nation’s shopping spree.
Supermarkets have also seen increased sales, and pharmaceutical companies have voiced concern that stocks might run out – especially with a bank holiday approaching.
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