January Sales in Cyprus 2027: Dates and Shopping Tips

The January sales in Cyprus have no official start date. Shops are free to cut prices whenever they like, but most big retailers wait until the day after Epiphany: in 2025 the main wave began on 7 January. As of 19 October 2026, no start date for the 2027 sales had been announced, so the best guide is the pattern of recent years, which points to Thursday 7 January 2027, with some shops starting earlier.

Here we explain how the sales work in Cyprus, which days shops are closed, what discounts to expect, how to spot a fake reduction and what you can return.

Is there an official sales period in Cyprus?

No. Until around 15 years ago, the Trade Minister set the start and end dates of the sales. A Supreme Court ruling then found the law regulating sales periods unconstitutional, and since then retailers can announce discounts whenever they choose. Marios Antoniou, general secretary of the retail association Pasyle, explained this in January 2025, adding that retailers must still follow the law and be honest about discounts.

That is why you will see some "pre-sales" before Christmas, Black Friday deals in late November, and then the main winter sales in January, mainly in clothing and footwear.

When do the January sales usually start?

In 2027, 1 January falls on a Friday and Epiphany (6 January) on a Wednesday. If retailers follow the usual pattern, expect the main start on Thursday 7 January, with some shops possibly starting a few days earlier, as they did in 2025. If there is a shop you care about, follow its newsletter or social media in late December.

Which days are shops closed over New Year and Epiphany?

New Year's Day (1 January) and Epiphany (6 January) are public holidays in Cyprus, and most shops close. On ordinary days, shops in Cyprus generally open between 07:00 and 21:00 Monday to Saturday, with later, shorter hours on Sundays, typically from about 11:00.

The malls publish their own festive timetables each December. In the 2024–25 season, for example:

The 2026–27 timetables are usually published in December, so check each mall's website or social media before you set off. Many supermarkets also close on 1 January. For the full list of malls, see our guide to the best shopping malls in Cyprus, and for high streets such as Ledra Street in Nicosia and Anexartisias Street in Limassol, our guide to the best shopping streets in Cyprus.

How big are the discounts?

In January 2025, retailers quoted reductions of 15%, 20% and 30%. In January 2026, Pasyle said discounts reached about 35–40%, and that anything deeper usually involved old stock that clothing and footwear shops wanted to clear. Retailers were happy with footfall and turnover, helped by cold weather that sold winter clothes.

In practice:

• Clothing and footwear have the biggest and most widespread reductions.
• Electronics and appliances usually see smaller January offers, as their main sale was Black Friday. Read our Black Friday in Cyprus guide for that.
• Sizes and colours go fast. The best choice is in the first few days; the deepest reductions come later, on what is left.

How do you know a sale price is genuine?

Under the Consumer Protection Law of 2021, which follows EU rules, when a shop advertises a reduction, the "before" price must be the lowest price it charged for that product in the previous 30 days. This stops shops raising prices in December and then "cutting" them in January.

The Consumer Protection Service enforces this with fines. In 2025, for example, it fined Next Gen Retail (Kotsovolos) and Cosmosport €20,000 each in February for misleading pricing, and in May fined Sklavenitis €80,000, Metro Foods Trading €50,000 and Athienitis €40,000 for pricing breaches.

To protect yourself:

1. Screenshot prices in December for items you plan to buy, so you can compare.
2. Compare online on Skroutz.cy, which lists the same product across many Cypriot shops.
3. Read "up to" offers carefully. "Up to 50%" may apply to a handful of items.
4. Check the till. Make sure the discount was actually applied before you leave.

If you find a misleading offer, report it through the gov.cy consumer complaint service. Our guide to making a consumer complaint in Cyprus explains the steps.

Can you return or exchange sale items?

Your rights depend on whether the item is faulty and where you bought it (see the EU's Your Europe guidance):

• Faulty goods: you have a minimum two-year legal guarantee, sale or not. The seller must repair or replace the item free of charge, and for defects that appear in the first year the seller has to prove the item was not faulty when you got it.
• Bought in a shop, not faulty: there is no legal right to return it. Exchanges depend on the shop's own policy, which may be shorter or exclude sale items. Ask before you pay, and keep the receipt.
• Bought online from an EU trader: you can cancel within 14 days of delivery without giving a reason. Personalised or custom-made items are excluded.

This matters for Christmas presents too: if you want to exchange a gift in the sales, you will usually need a gift receipt, and the shop may only offer the current sale price or a credit note.

What about online orders from abroad?

Since 1 July 2026, parcels from outside the EU, including the UK, no longer enjoy the old exemption for goods under €150. A temporary customs duty of €3 per product category applies until 1 July 2028, and VAT is then calculated on the total including the duty, according to the Customs Department. Three identical T-shirts count as one category (€3); a blouse, earrings and a keyring count as three (€9).

Some retailers collect the charges at checkout; otherwise the postal service or courier collects them before releasing the parcel. Returning an item does not automatically refund the €3, only in justified cases such as faulty goods. Gifts of up to €45 sent between private individuals, with no payment involved, remain exempt. See our guide to sending parcels to and from Cyprus for more.

Tips for shopping the January sales in Cyprus

• Go early in the first week of the sales for the best choice of sizes.
• Try the high streets as well as the malls, such as Ledra Street in Nicosia and Anexartisias Street in Limassol.
• Set a budget. January follows expensive Christmas and New Year spending, and buy-now-pay-later offers add up quickly. Our cost of living in Cyprus guide helps you plan.
• Keep your receipts for anything you might want to exchange or claim under the guarantee.

What to do next

1. Make a list of what you need, and screenshot the prices in December.
2. Check the malls' festive opening hours in December.
3. Look out for sales announcements from 2 January 2027.