Welcome the Greeks bearing euros

Surging ahead of the rest of the country, the southern Bulgarian town of Sandanski has now joined the euro zone, and its near neighbour Petric may soon follow suit. Surprisingly, the change has been prompted by the economic crisis, which has rocked Greece and resulted in severe price hikes on everyday items in the Hellenic republic. Over the last few weeks, the two border towns have literally been invaded by Greek shoppers, who throng cafes and restaurants, and queue up to visit doctors and dentists. In an apt illustration of the adage, "It's a ill wind that blows no good," Bulgarian traders are rubbing their hands with glee. “I can't say we are delighted about our neighbours economic problems," explains one business owner, "but without them we would be going under too. The latest price increases in Greece have transformed our two towns into a kind of poor man's Klondike.”

Petrol is 50% cheaper

Locals have a lot to say about the trolley pushing "invaders." Shop owners point out that they pay directly in euros, and they buy in bulk. “They don't just buy one slice of feta like we do, they fork out for several kilos. Since the price increases, they have even started buying fruit here,” remarks a grocer in Sandanski. Some traders have found that Greek customers are not always easy to manage. “They want to bargain for everything, even if they only succeed in lowering the price by a euro. But the fact remains, even customers like that are better than no customers at all,” insists another trader.

The Greeks are mainly shopping for food, clothing and shoes, which are the products with the biggest difference in price, and furniture and home equipment outlets are also doing brisk business. There is no such thing as a slow day at the spanking new Technomarket shopping centre, on the E79 just across the border, where most of the shoppers are discuss technical specifications in the language of Aristotle. Greeks are also converging on local service stations. They come from nearby regions — Nea Vrasna, Neo Petritsi and Sidirokastro — to fill up their cars, which they also load with jerricans, because petrol is 50% cheaper. “We had to get organized to deal with the recession. Sometimes we just send over one driver to fill up his tank and as many jerricans has he can carry. Then we share the petrol between friends and neighbours,” explains George Ephtimios, a farmer from the small Greek village of Vironia.

Not just a retail boom

George comes to Sandanski several times a week to hunt for bargains: cheese, logs for heating, furniture… He is wearing a pair of trainers purchased in Bulgaria: “Five euros a pair!” At that price, he bought three pairs. Some of his countrymen, most of them pensioners, have taken the major step of pulling up stakes and moving to Petric, where they rent small apartments or houses. Once they have become accustomed to life on the other side of the border, they act as advisors and on occasion as guides for their fellow citizens. “They show around whole groups who come to see them,” says Petric local Nikola Chopov. “They find them the best bargains, and the shops and restaurants that give a discount to Greeks. And in exchange, they receive a small commission."

And the boom in business is not just confined to retailing: many of the cross-border shoppers take advantage of cheaper dental services and lower prices for bridges and crowns. Local dentists have begun to work weekends to cope with influx of Greeks on a spree. Stomatogist Nikola Stoilov has even put up a sign in Greek to explain the opening hours of his surgery in Petric. “Yes, I have a lot of Greek patients," he confirms. "But they are not made of money. They know the local rates, and they pay the same prices as Bulgarians. But I have a lot more of them coming to sit in my chair.” Sandanski and Petric are ready, bring on the Greeks. Καλός ήλθατε! Welcome.