This trend is especially prominent among visitors staying in Airbnb-style rentals or holiday rooms, which typically provide kitchen facilities, allowing guests to prepare their own meals.
The rising cost of dining out, coupled with higher prices for basic goods, has prompted many travelers to turn to in-house consumption. Tourists now frequently shop at supermarkets to stock up on essentials, minimizing their expenses by avoiding restaurants, cafes, and bars and instead making full use of their lodging amenities.
This behavioral change is clearly reflected in retail patterns, particularly in supermarkets, where demand for coffee, alcoholic beverages, and ready-to-drink products has spiked. At the same time, private-label goods—both food and drink—are gaining traction among consumers looking for more budget-friendly options.
A striking example is the growing popularity of shelf-sold coffee products, such as espresso capsules and instant coffee, intended for preparation within accommodations. Traditional café-served coffee is losing ground, while supermarkets in tourist-heavy areas are increasingly offering ready-to-drink coffee products in portable packaging.
A similar pattern is evident with alcoholic beverages. Rather than ordering drinks at bars or beach clubs, many tourists are purchasing bottles of alcohol—tequila, vodka, and gin being among the most sought after—for private consumption in their temporary homes. Supermarket chains have noted rising demand for these spirits, along with a growing preference for store-brand alternatives.
On the luxury tourism front, destinations like Mykonos and Santorini have seen a dip in the average value of tax-free purchases, even as the number of transactions remains stable or even climbs. In Mykonos, for example, the average spend per transaction is down compared to last year, indicating a broader trend toward more restrained consumer behavior—even among high-income travelers.
In response, organized retail chains have adjusted their strategies, expanding operations in key tourist destinations, particularly across the islands.
