Kalpaki, Epirus: An Essential Local Supermarket

I was pleased to find that the small supermarket at Kalpaki was open again yesterday. I talked to several members of staff who were not at all confident that the store or its staff were in the clear to continue trading. There are many uncertainties, even though this is an essential supplier serving an important market and local area of Epirus. The staff members told me that they have not been paid for six months. I was not clear who exactly is now the temporary owner, after the problems with Marinopoulos and Carrefour. The name of the supermarket was originally Arvanitidis, I think.

I was alerted by Observing Greece to an article published in the Economist Intelligence Unit:
"Marinopoulos: decline and fall of a retail giant".

This didn't help to shed any light on the future of the much-needed (and surely viable) Kalpaki store.

Update, MSN/News247.gr - Σκλαβενίτης: Τι θα γίνει με τα 362 καταστήματα και τους 10.8000 εργαζόμενους της Μαρινόπουλος

The agreement

Update, January 2017 - Greek Competition Authority Approves Sklavenitis-Marinopoulos Deal, Greek Observer - "As a precondition for approving the deal, the authority required Sklavenitis Group to implement a series of commitments, such as liquidating 22 stores and to maintain for a transition period of three years and under the conditions of all commercial partnership agreements signed between Marinopoulos and small local suppliers".