For avid bargain shoppers, this is one of the two best times of year to visit Athens. From the last week of January through the last week of February, all retailers hold massive sales on everything from clothes to toiletries to household goods.

Their goal? To clear out old inventory to make room for the new. Who knew a classic, timeless city like Athens was such a trend-setting, fashion-conscious place? Well, we did, but that’s another story.

Some Athenians window-shop throughout January to see what they want to buy in February—and to note the original prices to make sure they truly are getting a deal when they buy their selected items on sale.

The other time this bi-annual give-away takes place is in August. For the uninitiated, August is Athens at its most intensely hot. It’s when locals go on holiday to get away as far as possible from the humid, boiling capital as they possibly can. The upshot: February is the better shopping month.

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