Thessaloniki’s small businesses appear unprepared to compete in the age of Artificial Intelligence (AI), as they rate their level of readiness at just 2 out of 5, while nearly half of the businesses do not use any relevant tools.
According to the relevant announcement, the data comes from the May–June Economic Barometer survey conducted by Interview among a sample of 405 small and medium-sized enterprises on behalf of the Thessaloniki Chamber of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (BETH).
In response to the question “Which of the following AI technologies does your business use?” 25% responded “Generative AI” (e.g., ChatGPT, Claude for text/image processing), 4% “Customer service chatbots” (automated digital assistants that answer questions, fulfill orders, etc.), 8% cited marketing and sales automation tools, 15% cited analytics and forecasting software, while the lion’s share—48%—responded that they do not use any of the above.
Regarding the biggest obstacles small business owners face in integrating technology into their businesses, 30% cited uncertainty about the return on investment, 20% cited concerns about data security and privacy issues, 19% cited high costs, 8% cited the difficulty of finding employees with the necessary skills to use the new AI tools, 9% selected “other,” while 16% stated that they face no obstacles.
Time savings are the primary benefit
When asked, “What are the main benefits you believe come from using AI?” 50% cited time savings on repetitive tasks, 18% cited reduced operating costs, 5% cited improved quality of deliverables, 12% cited a better understanding of customer needs, 5% cited “other,” and 10% cited “none of the above.”
Specifically regarding business areas, 27% of survey participants believe that the marketing department has benefited or could benefit from the use of AI, 17% cited product development, 15% cited customer service, 5% cited human resources, 6% cited the accounting department, 10% answered “other,” and 20% answered “none of the above.”
When asked, “How often do you use AI tools in your daily work?” 21% said daily, 34% said weekly, 24% said rarely, and 21% said never.
Small Businesses Unprepared for the AI Era
When asked, “How prepared is your business to compete in the age of AI?” on a scale of 1 to 5 (1 = not at all prepared – 5 = completely prepared) the average readiness score is 2, which demonstrates that although Artificial Intelligence has the potential to shift the balance of power, it still has a long way to go before it is successfully integrated by small and medium-sized enterprises in Thessaloniki.
Economic Climate Index Rises—Satisfaction Among Small Manufacturers
In the second part of the Thessaloniki Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s (TCCI) bimonthly Economic Barometer, 40% of the small manufacturers surveyed regarding their assessment of their business’s situation stated that it was satisfactory, 36% said it was good, and 24% said it was poor. Over the next six months, 55% expect the situation of their business to remain the same, 24% expect it to improve, and 21% expect it to worsen.
Eighty-five percent say they will maintain their workforce over the next two months, 10% plan to hire new staff, and 5% plan to lay off employees. Turnover remained unchanged for 39% of respondents, 33% reported a decrease, and 28% reported an increase.
Regarding the Economic Climate Index, the May–June period showed an upward trend, reaching 6.2 points—a significant improvement compared to the March–April period, when it stood at 4.2 points. It should be noted that in May–June 2025, the Economic Sentiment Index stood at 5.2, while a year earlier, during the same period, it was at 3.3.