by Maria Spiliopoulou
ATHENS, Nov. 25 (Xinhua) -- Thousands of recession-hit Greeks formed long queues at the entrances of shopping malls and retail shops as Greece celebrated for the first time ever the so-called Black Friday.
A tradition in the United States for over eight decades, the special shopping day is held on the day after Thanksgiving Day, marking the start of the Christmas and New Year's shopping season.
A large part of the retail sector in debt-laden Greece embraced the event this year in an attempt to revive consumer activity ahead of the holidays.
Thousands of people, in particular youth, rushed to take advantage of discounts reaching up to 80 percent of the regular prices.
However, the first Greek Black Friday did not receive a warm welcome by all.
Small business owners, who are struggling to survive amid tax hikes and salary cuts, expressed concern that the new discount event will benefit mostly major retailers.
Some 100,000 small and medium-sized companies were closed during the seven years of the Greek debt crisis, according to official data.
