Opening hours are different in Crete, mainly because of the siesta which is approximately from 2.00pm and 5.30pm.

Banks and offices close at 2.00pm.

Supermarkets open from 8.00am until 8.00pm in winter and 9.00pm during the summer on Saturday they close at 6.00pm.

Shops open around 9.00am and close around 1.30pm-2.00pm Monday to Saturday and on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday they open again from 5.30pm-6.00pm to 9.00pm. (all year round)

Local shops in the villages outside of Chania are basically "open all hours" a bit like our corner shops.

In summer the tourist shops, bars and tavernas are open all day the shops will close at around 11.00pm and the bars and tavernas late into the night, in winter of course there is very little in the way of entertainment as the majority are closed.

Supermarkets in Crete

There are three main supermarkets in the Chania area:-

INKA is a Greek chain of supermarkets with a wide range of local and imported products at a competetive prices. The shops are well laid out and easy to find specific items, but they are often a little understaffed and chaotic at the till.

Champion formerly an Athens company Marinopoulos and now part of the French supermarkets chain Champion. They carry a good selection of local and imported products, their own-brand products can be cheap. The delicatessent is very impressive with a large selection of produce. A special counter offers fresh spit roasted chicken and a variety of ready food. There are always some special offers on electrical and household goods. Champion supermarkets have the advantage of large car parking areas.

LIDL there are three on the outskirts of Chania with good car parking space. The LIDL supermarkets have their standard range of products plus local Cretan produce.

New LIDL located in Platanias, Crete, opened Summer 2011.

On the opening day LIDL provided a free freshly cooked souvlaki with a drink in the carpark, a red rose on entry and a 10% discount at the till.

Photo taken October 6th 2011 7pm.

Lidl in Crete

Shops in Crete

Shops in Chania tend to located by type of product. There is a street with mainly shoe shops and another street with three major electrical appliance shops all close together. Shopping in Chania can be fascinating and a pleasure to browse around all the different shops old and new.

Local shops outside of Chania (in most cases still called a supermarket) are open all year round and some open all day and on Sunday. They virtually have everything you could possibly need from bread and potatoes to gas bottles and shoes. The prices are higher than supermakets as you would expect and tend to be shambolic in nature. These Shops are an essential part of life in Crete we would not survive otherwise.

You can find almost anything you need in supermarkets and shops although the availability of foreign products is limited, the choice is same and expensive. The British cannot find their favourite products here anywhere. If you have been on holiday in Crete what you have seen in the shops is all you can get.