No shortages are expected in the Cypriot supermarkets, due to the war in Ukraine, said to KYPE the Executive Secretary of the Pancyprian Supermarkets Association Andreas Hatziadamou.
As he said, the Association has been in contact with its members for the last few days and no shortcomings have been reported, apart from the expected temporary shortcomings that are constantly updated.
So far no issue has been raised in the Cypriot market due to the war, neither in the supply chains, nor in the prices, he said. As he noted, the increases in various products are not so much related to the war as to the broader economic context that has prevailed since the end of 2021. The effects of the war are likely to emerge if hostilities continue, he said.
The Supermarkets Association, said Mr. Hatziadamou, has the ability to be flexible, has the experience and knowledge of the market and has the ability to adapt. "We have been following developments closely for many days," he said, adding that suppliers also have alternatives and are planning according to the worst-case scenario.
"Both the market dynamics and the experience we have with our own imports and markets and alternative suppliers" will help "cope with the lower costs of this crisis, if it continues," he said.
As he noted, Ukraine and Russia did not have much of a market for basic goods. Regarding the alternatives that exist in case of problems in the supply chain, Mr. Hatziadamou referred to the Alternative Market, while he said that the basic demand goods are in large quantities in various countries.
"We will not face a big problem, as probably other countries, because it also has to do with the size of our market," he said, adding that in such a crisis, the size of the market and businesses, especially in the supermarket sector, play an important role. .