• by XpatAthens
  • Thursday, 05 February 2015
Online Everything

Summertime temperatures and sunny skies are all well and good. But it occurred to me the other day that for most of what we need these days, one need never leave the house at all.

Between my computer and my phone – and the ever-expanding world of (Greek) apps and online shops – you could really conduct every detail of your day-to-day life from the comfort of your sofa (or bed or balcony or…).

I suppose most of us do our banking online – transfers and payments and so on. With Paypal, you can pay for all manner of products and services with a couple clicks. And many of the Greek e-tailers are starting to accept Paypal transactions.

Skroutz.gr is a truly useful site for comparing and buying almost every product imaginable – from flower pots to bicycles to toys. The best part is that the site compares prices for the same products across all available online retailers – and 3 clicks later you’ve bought your new flower pot. The Skroutz smartphone app even lets you scan product barcodes for instant price comparisons – but this implies you actually left the house…

Buldoza.gr is one of many (many!) sites for clothes and homewares, with nice styles and a good range of stuff – at great prices, delivered to your front door. A quick scan of the internet revealed tons and tons of Greek e-tailers, who are more than happy to show up at your door with products in-hand. Seriously, from a bar of soap to a wedding gift - someone in Athens will bring it to your door!

Looking for a new apartment? Your first stop should really be Xpatproperty.com. But your second stop should really be Spitogatos.gr - an amalgamator of most of the Athens real estate firms’ listings. The smartphone app is also really cool – and allows you to ‘see’ all available listing based on your current GPS location.

For those of us who dread the trip to the supermarket, my best discovery has been the Carrefour online shop. In under 10 minutes, I selected and paid for all my groceries – many of which I can’t even get at my local supermarket. The site is still only in Greek, but with delivery charges between 3euros and 6euros, the effort is certainly worth it…

The point is this – modern technology is about convenience. And, apparently, never leaving the house. The point for me is to use all this technology wisely, make the most of it, so you have time for that evening walk. Which is where I’m heading right now…

Until next week,

Jack

PayPal
www.paypal.com

Skroutz
www.skroutz.gr

Buldoza
www.buldoza.gr

XpatProperty
www.xpatproperty.com

Spitogatos
www.spitogatos.gr

Carrefour
www.caremarket.gr

 

In this weekly space, keep up with ‘Jack’ as he navigates daily life in Athens… Anecdotes, stories, hits & misses, the good, the bad and, well, the rest…