During the season, Greece receives more than 20 million foreign guests. The tourism sector annually brings more than 13 thousand euros to the country's budget. But this country owes more than just the sun to such a flow of guests. Shopping tourism, as a new direction in the tourism sector, has appeared quite recently.
Millions of women rush to Greece with the intention of buying an inexpensive, high-quality mink coat. Yes! It is with fur coats that this fabulous country can pamper us to a greater extent. I present to you a list of cities where you can buy a fur product!
If you intend to go to sunny Greece to buy a fur coat for the first time, then you probably already have a thousand questions in your head: “How to buy a fur coat in Greece and how much will it cost me?” or “How to organize a trip and where to go?” But let's take things in order.
Shub tours
If your organizational skills are at zero, then do not hesitate to ask for help.
There are tour operators who don’t feed you bread - let them take people around Greece for quality fur coats. You will be provided with a ready-made route, a transfer with a personal driver and all the comfortable conditions so that you can just point your finger at the models you like and get a lot of pleasure from the process. Today, finding a company that could organize a fur coat tour to Greece is not difficult.
For example: - Gris-Voyage - Eco-Travel - Mouzenidis-Travel - MBA Tour - Jasna Tour and many others provide such services.
Note: There is an opinion that tour operators actively cooperate with salons in Greece. Be suspicious of tours with an obligation to buy a fur coat in any case. Think about it, perhaps your tour operator has a percentage of this.
But if you are one of those who are not looking for easy ways, then you will probably overcome the independent search for an inexpensive and high-quality Greek fur coat. And I will try to help you on how to do this by guiding you through prices and hot spots. Let's look at places where to buy a fur coat in Greece on your own and inexpensively. But first, a little introduction, a tour of fur shops.
How much does a fur coat cost in Greece?
It is difficult to determine the exact price of fur products, because prices differ significantly from each other at different retail outlets. This is due to a number of certain factors, such as the manufacturer, the style of the fur product and, of course, discounts. Usually, when purchasing this product, the buyer is provided with various promotions or discounts. A buyer who purchases not one, but several Greek fur coats can receive a discount. There are also seasonal discounts on this product and bargaining is always appropriate.
It is no secret that the initial cost of fur products is usually slightly inflated by experienced sellers who rely on inexperienced buyers. Knowledgeable people, before making such a purchase, thoroughly study the prices of products and, if the cost is too high, they simply bargain with the seller, who ultimately concedes. Inexperienced buyers, of course, agree to the stated price and pay for the purchase without bidding.
As for quality, fur coats of traditionally excellent quality are sold in Greece. This condition is considered mandatory for all sellers of fur products, so as not to harm the reputation of Greek fur production.
The cost of fur coats in Greece is also influenced by the number of pieces from which the product is made. The smaller the pieces and the greater their number, the cheaper the cost of the product. When buying fur coats, many inexperienced buyers are concerned that the product is made from small pieces, and the cost is high, and the seller claims that this fur coat is of high quality and its price is justified.
Here it is worth considering the factor that the animals from which the product is made are themselves small in size and therefore the fur coat cannot be sewn from solid fur. Products made from solid pieces are usually sewn together from the largest fur parts, which are selected and cut according to the direction of the fur pile and the pattern on it.
Also, all buyers of fur products who go after them, crossing customs, should take into account that there is a law that provides for the imposition of a considerable tax on goods exceeding a certain weight and value.
That is why, when buying Greek fur coats, you should ask the seller to issue checks for a value of up to ten thousand euros, otherwise problems may arise at customs when returning home.
Usually, merchants meet buyers halfway, because buyers have practically no chance of returning purchased goods in Greece, even if they have receipts.
How to get there?
Forget Athens. This beautiful capital with a rich history will rip you off, especially in the summer season. Experienced shopping tourists will tell you to go to Kostoria and they will be right, but besides it, there are places that cannot be ignored and I will tell you about all of them in detail.
If you take a taxi in Athens, don’t forget to tell the driver that you are going to buy a fur coat. He may also be affiliated with the store he will drive you to. You don't want to feel deceived? Ask to be dropped off somewhere nearby, and ask passers-by where to go next.
Best stores
Perhaps you value convenience above all else and it doesn’t matter where you buy luxurious furs. Athens is a beautiful city that will undoubtedly delight you with the number of shops and range of goods. I present to your attention a couple of stores in the capital, just as an example.
- Alexandros Furs . Positions itself as the largest multi-brand salon in Athens, selling Greek fur coats. The company will organize a transfer from anywhere in the city and area of Attica to bring you to its store. Once you've been there, you probably won't want to leave empty-handed. Rest assured, you will be thoroughly “licked” there and you will remain in a state of happiness for many weeks later, rejoicing at the three-price fur coat you bought. The presence of the brands of this store speaks for itself. - Braschi - Obsession - Inochi and so on. Alexandros Furs is located in the center of Athens, at 5 Hypatias Street.
- Lotos Furs Butique . Also an equally famous fur studio in the city. Exclusive fur products for every taste await you. Moreover, it is located next to Alexandros Furs. Namely, on Hypatias street 6.
It makes no sense to list all the shops in Athens. Believe me, they are endless. For those who decide to purchase a quality fur coat, this will not be difficult.
Let's go to Paralia Katerini
Paralia Katerinis is considered the capital of fur coat fashion. More than a hundred fur shops are concentrated on one city street. The prices are not as exorbitant as in Athens, and the range is such that you risk getting a pleasant shock.
How to get there
It is best to get there from the airport in Thessaloniki, it is about 80 km. You can go by taxi or on city routes. To do this, you need to leave the airport building, where near the terminal you will see city routes No. 78 and 78N. You arrive at the bus station in Macedonia and take a ticket for an intercity flight to Paralia Katerini. But you can order a taxi.
If your Russian soul is eager to bargain with the seller in order to snag a fur coat for half the price, then it is better to do this in factories. In stores, the mink coat you like already has a fixed price. But the factories of Kastoria and Siatista will only welcome your zeal and will gladly bargain with you. An excellent opportunity to buy a fur beauty inexpensively.
We are going to Kastoria
Kastoria is a small town in northern Greece. It is there that more than 1,200 fur factories in Greece are concentrated. There you can visit shops and factories. But I strongly recommend the second one. Read more about shopping in this article.
They will give you a free tour, show you and tell you about all the models, give you delicious tea, help you try on all the fur coats of your size that the factory has in stock, and if you also bargain well, in the end they will give you the model you like for half the price.
Few people know that fur factories are located not only in Kastoria. Siatista is a less popular and more budget option for tourists, but I assure you that the quality of its coats and furs is not inferior to those of Kastorian. Siatista is located 58 km from Kastoria. It is convenient if you have a personal vehicle, but in any case you can order a transfer.
How to get there
The city is located approximately 500 km from Athens. If you are going purposefully to buy an inexpensive, high-quality Greek fur coat, then it is better for you to land in Thessaloniki. A taxi to Kastoria will cost you 70 euros. If you are not eager to overpay, then it is best to go there by bus. The road to the bus station will cost you 60 euro cents for an express train and 16 euros from the station to Kastoria.
Advice . It is better to order a taxi online. Remember that at any airport there are people who want to make extra money from tourists. Book a taxi in advance for a specific time. Even if you are delayed, the fare is calculated by the system and you will be charged to the meter the moment you get into the taxi. This will allow you to avoid cheating from drivers.
TOURS.ru
In this story, I would like to share my experience of buying a fur coat in Greece on my own. I decided to combine this task with a beach holiday. Two birds with one stone... Travel time is the end of July 2021.
This was my second trip to Greece for fur coats. The first one took place 8 years ago and was part of a fur coat tour. I won’t say that everything turned out very well then, but I was satisfied. True, many of the nuances about such tours were unknown to me at that time and I learned about it only after arriving home. And I really regret that I didn’t study the information on the Internet then.
This time I decided to prepare better and since spring I began studying reviews and publications on this topic on the Internet, trying to separate advertising from really necessary information. The goal was to buy a high-quality blackglama fur coat. And if it works out for the money, then something simpler for every day.
It took me a long time to choose a hotel. I wanted a golden mean. And so that there is enough leftover for a fur coat and a decent rest. As a result, I booked a double room online for 12 nights at the Athos Palace 4* hotel with sea views and all-inclusive meals for two adults and a teenager for 145,000 rubles. In a nutshell, the hotel is certainly tired, but you can still relax there normally. The food is not very varied, but is quite high quality and tasty. You won't remain hungry. All drinks except beer are surrogates, chemicals and powders. The rooms are small and old, but they are fine for spending the night and changing clothes. The view from the window, if it is of the sea, is simply magnificent. You immediately forgive the hotel all small mistakes. The beach is great. In general, if you don’t overpay, it’s quite normal.
In Greece, the main fur capital is the town of Kastoria, which is a couple of hours drive from Thessaloniki. Smaller sales centers are the towns of Paralia Katerini and Kallithea. Everything else is separate stores, etc.
My hotel was located a couple of kilometers from Kallithea. You could walk for twenty minutes or pay 5 euros for a taxi. There is a whole long street in the town with fur coat shops. I also saw several shops in smaller side streets. Many names didn’t mean anything to me, although I had already read tons of information over the past three months, and some belonged to fairly well-known brands, but these were in the minority. Since my plans also included a trip to Kastoria, one evening walking around and asking the price was enough. Looking ahead, I will say that in Kastoria the assortment turned out to be much richer. Stores of the same brand are very different in Kastoria and Kallithea, not in favor of the latter. This is more likely to rely on the laziness of the tourist and the difficulty of getting to a distant place in a foreign country.
In Halkidiki, in particular in Kassandra, where we lived in a lot of hotels and tourists. And not everyone will travel somewhere far to compare or see something. Most prefer to pick it up on the spot. This is a mistake in my opinion. By spending a maximum of 100 euros on cars and gasoline, you can save much more. Another little tip. If the hotel is not completely out of the way, rent a car not at the hotel itself, but at small rental offices, of which there are many in Greece at every turn. And there is no need to block anything on the card and there will be no problems with insurance later. Just take the full one and that’s it. Unlike Spain or Italy, this will not almost double the cost of rent. Looking ahead, I’ll say that we rented a Ford Focus for 50 euros for one day and gas also cost us the same amount. This is the asking price when traveling to Kastoria. And if there are two of you or you were able to cooperate with someone from the hotel, like us, then it’s generally inexpensive.
There is another option to buy a fur coat for lazy tourists vacationing on the Chalkidiki Peninsula. From almost any hotel, Mouzenidis company guides will take you free of charge to the ENIGMA shopping center (Nea Moudania). It doesn’t matter whether you are their client or not. We booked the trip ourselves, but there were no problems with it. The shopping center is good. Almost all store employees are Russian-speaking; there will be no problems with understanding. More than half of the center's stores are fur coat salons. There are many ordinary souvenir shops, the range of goods of which is the same, no matter where you are in Greece. There are clothes, leather, accessories, etc. But this is already in the background, the main thing is fur coats.
Just like in Kallithea, there are well-known brands, and there are those whose names have never appeared on the Internet during my diligent study of this topic. Brand stores certainly looked much better. We walked a lot, walked for a long time. We could have done it faster, but if you were brought in in an organized manner, then you will go back with everyone. We tried on a bunch of fur coats. There were some that I liked. And the prices seemed to suit us, but we decided to take our time and not buy anything before our trip to Kastoria, although the temptation was great. We would buy it and don’t need to go anywhere. As further practice showed, we were right. Of course, in Kastoria the choice is not several times higher, but orders of magnitude higher. In general, if someone is not bothered by a small selection and perhaps a slightly higher price, but is bothered by traveling somewhere far, then Enigma is quite a good option.
So Kastoria. We got there in a little over two hours. The road is great. We paid 1-20 and 2-40 for travel twice, but it was worth it. The permitted speed is 130, you can go 150 calmly. There are almost no cars. There is beauty outside the window, especially when you climb the mountains closer to Kastoria. The town that I remembered eight years ago remains the same. Nothing has changed at all. Even the signs are the same. There was noticeable graffiti on the wall of one of the houses, and it remained in place just like that.
Finding fur factories in Kastoria is easy. Almost all of them are located right on the highway along which you will drive to Kastoria. It's impossible to miss anything because of the huge signs. They start about 4-5 kilometers from the town itself, and after entering it another five hundred meters you come across smaller shops. So they are located further from each other, a couple of hundred meters away, sometimes on the right, sometimes on the left along the highway outside the city. In the town itself, there are shops almost in a row and all on the left side of the road. There will be a lake on the right. For those who are afraid to come on their own and not find something, I inform you that your fears are in vain. Everything is very simple. In addition, on the Internet on YouTube I saw several videos of driving along the highway in Kastoria along fur factories with names. Whoever needs it will find it. I don’t recommend trying to visit all the factories. This is not possible in one day. It’s best to choose four or five must-sees in advance, and the rest as you go. There is a lot of information on this topic on the Internet, and you, too, have probably either already looked for guidelines or are planning to do so, otherwise you would not be reading this text now. The task was to find a sheepskin coat from Blackglama, and if there was money left, then something simpler, go to the bakery, as they say.
The first factory on my list and the first one you will see when approaching Kastoria is MANZARI. That's where we started. There are a lot of fur coats, any colors and furs. We tried on several models and asked prices. It seems good, although the price is a little higher than I expected. Very nice sellers. It’s obvious that they didn’t want to let us go, but it would be somehow stupid to go into the first store and buy a fur coat there without comparing prices, quality, or models. In theory, you could buy something, turn around and go back. But according to the plan there were still factories and we did not want to deviate from it.
Further on the road to Kastoria, about two hundred meters later, we stopped at the Gliagias factory (I might have misspelled the letter in the name). This was not in the plans, but the size inspired respect. We couldn't pass by. The prices are attractive. Later, after visiting several factories in Kastoria, we realized that this factory is good for those who want to buy something inexpensively and without any special pretensions. Here we looked at one sheepskin coat from a series of simpler ones, in a classic walnut color, but since we had not yet completed the maximum task, we remembered it and moved on.
Then there was the MANAKAS factory. To our inexperienced eye, we didn’t find much difference from the previous one. Both fur coats and prices are approximately the same. There were also several large factories further down the road, but we decided to focus on the ones we decided to visit initially. So we drove past. If you go around everything, you won’t have enough time or energy.
The next factory is AVANTI. This is the second one that I have scheduled for a mandatory visit. This is already not far from Kastoria on the left side of the road. It’s impossible to drive past and not see it. There are a lot of fur coats. It’s immediately clear that there are high-quality and interesting models, but as soon as we started talking about prices, the interest in trying anything further immediately disappeared. Looking ahead, I’ll write. It's expensive here. I don’t think that in other factories the same thing is of worse quality. If you don't care about price, then this is a very good place. We decided that if we didn’t find anything, we’d come back later.
Next on the list is MOUSIOS. It's close to AVANTI. Another five hundred meters towards Kastoria, but on the right side. We've only read good things about this factory. There are many reviews on the Internet, but not a single bad one. It was even interesting. There are not as many fur coats in the salon as in any of the previous factories, but the overall impression is much better. Somehow everything is in the same style or something. And you can see all the fur coats are of the same quality. There are no worse or better fur coats. There is no obvious illiquid stock or the feeling of a shop where there are pairs of each creature and in innumerable quantities. Blackglama is great. Everything I read on the Internet. and dense and fluffy and the same length of pile. I saw a video about this fur on YouTube. How to choose and what to pay attention to. We were met at the salon by Lazaros, one of the factory owners, and two sales girls. One was Russian, the other didn’t speak Russian at all. Only tea and coffee. We told him that we had read a lot about his factory, seen videos, etc. and so on. It seemed to me that they were all sincerely happy. They told and showed everything with such pleasure.
We tried on several fur coats. I liked a couple of options. But then Nicholas went to the other end of the hall and returned with a sheepskin coat. He says - here is your fur coat. I know exactly. I don’t know what kind of eye he has and how exactly he understood what I needed, but it really was the most interesting option of the day. For the price, everything was fine too. And what’s interesting is that the approach is not like everyone else’s. Lazaros said that he could give me a price twice as high, praise the quality and say that it’s expensive because it’s better than everyone else’s, and then knock off 30-40% and everyone would be happy. In the end, he said that since we came to them, he now tells me the final price and lets me go on all fours to look for something better and cheaper. And that he knows for sure that we will return. Total 2200 euros to the knee with a hood of size 46, the cross section is made of amazing blackglama. Well, we moved on. On the way, the next factories were PKZ and ALESSANDRO BOSSO. The second one also had good reviews on the Internet, but the first one was where I bought my fur coat eight years ago. It was worn well, but as I realized later, I greatly overpaid.
PKZ didn’t even bother to measure anything special. Wear a pair of sheepskin coats. One is blackglamy, one is graphite. The price was quoted quite high, but they said that someone would come and make a big discount. To be honest, I didn’t really want to. I liked Blackglama in Mousios more, and the cheaper option clearly looked better in GLIAGIAS or MANAKAS.. We left with nothing. They tried on two or three fur coats and stopped. We decided to move on.
The last factory before the town itself is NAOMI. We ran. They touched it, twisted it, didn’t even try anything. The fur coats seem to be good, but something is wrong. They didn't have what we needed. Very tired.
The last factory on my list was CHRISOS. This factory is already located in the town itself, but it’s true that we no longer had the strength. In general, we decided to return to MOUSIOS FURS for the blaglalama and to GLIAGIAS for a simpler sheepskin coat. Lazaros was not surprised to see us again. The fur coat was hanging separately and waiting for us, and the branded bag was already standing nearby. Not only that, but the point was that I saw a long row of fur coats covered with a cloth against the wall. I asked what was there. It turned out that the fur coats were very decent, just a brown classic. Not even completely brown, the color is... Lazaros said that these coats are made from mink fur from their own farm and if we want to buy something from this, he will be able to offer such a price that we cannot refuse, especially since it would be the second coat. We covered them so that the fur would not burn out from the powerful lighting. And we chose the same. Of course, not what was originally planned, but also an excellent option. In general, we took both. A month and a half has passed since my arrival from Greece. I am writing this review not in the heat of the moment, but after having cooled down from the trip. The fur coats are excellent. I'm sure I made the right choice.
I would like to summarize a little. The first and most important thing is that if you need a high-quality Greek fur coat and you plan to buy it on the spot, then you need not to be lazy and get to Kastoria. And only to Kastoria. It will still be much cheaper than at home. And you won’t find such fur coats at home. One China. And from a tourist point of view it is interesting. The town is really very beautiful.
As for the prices of fur coats in general, everyone there unanimously says that they are at a historical minimum. There haven't been prices like these for a very long time. A crisis. Eight years ago I bought my short fur coat for 3200. Now I have a much better fur coat for 2200. Feel the difference.
Happy travels and good travel companions to everyone. Like, write comments and PM. I'll find time to answer. I hope my story is useful to you.
Price
I can already hear the long-overdue question: “How much does a fur coat cost in Greece in 2021?” The time has come to discuss the price of the issue.
Of course, each supplier sets its own price for the goods, which seems logical to him, based on the cost of the material, its quantity, labor, rent and other factory expenses. Therefore, prices for fur coats in 2021 are difficult to fit into a single list. But it won’t be difficult to orient you roughly.
Prices in product catalogs 2021
- Whole mink 1800 – 4500 euros
- The price may also vary depending on the color you choose. So the most inexpensive is brown mink, and blue mink and black diamond will cost you 500-1000 euros more.
- Whole mink short fur coat 2000 – 3500 euros
- Mink coat 800 – 1800 euros
- Mink short fur coat 800 – 1200 euros
- Sheared fur 2200 – 3500 euros
- Plucked fur 2200 – 6000 euros
- Whole raccoon fur coat (the most inexpensive) 1000 - 1250 euros
- The fox will cost more: 1400 – 2500 euros
- Seal short fur coat (budget option) 800 – 1050 euros
- Karakulcha will be more expensive: 1700 – 2500 euros
Remember that prices are quite arbitrary, and Greeks love to bargain.
How to choose the right one
Pay careful attention to the quality of the fur coat. Of course, Greece does not sin in this matter, but, as in every country, you risk running into an unscrupulous seller. Therefore, some recommendations for choosing quality :
- Check the fur coat for defects. Tug the fur a little to make sure it doesn't tug. Stroke it in different directions. It should not break, because high-quality fur quickly returns to its original position. With a damp hand, wipe the fur coat, see if there is any shade of paint or lint left on your hand.
- Fold up the hem and carefully examine the underbelly. It should be light. If it is dark, then your fur coat can be dyed. Remember: A manufacturer who does not doubt the quality of his product never sews on a lining.
- The fur coat should be heavy. Estimate the size of the product and its weight.
How to order online
There is also an option called “without leaving home.” Fur coats from Greece can be ordered online . A convenient option if you value your time above all else. Take this seriously, because you cannot try on and inspect a fur coat for quality. Read reviews from real customers on different sites. You may get the information you need.
But remember, you are depriving yourself of the most important thing: trying on dozens of fur coats, feeling like a real lady and, of course, combining the purchase with an unforgettable vacation.
[Total: 10 Average: 2.9/5]
Just a little history
Furrier trade in Greece appeared in the 14th century, while the birth of the fur business is considered to be the junction of the 19th and 20th centuries - it was then that the first family enterprises engaged in the production of fur coats appeared in the country.
By the mid-20th century, the most successful of these small manufacturers had grown into large international companies leading the European fur market.
Such a corporation usually includes several workshops specializing in certain operations or types of products.
Furrier trade in Greece dates back to the 14th century.
By the way, the country does not have its own fur farms - the climate does not allow raising animals with high-quality fur. Raw materials for production are purchased at fur auctions in the USA, Canada and Scandinavian countries.
The quality of furs and finished products is carefully monitored by the Union of Furriers operating in the country, which guarantees the consistently high quality of Greek fur coats.
