By J. [email protected] of retail stores in crisis-battered Greece have dropped to a trickle, although new openings are even rarer, according to figures listed in the most recent six-month report by the Hellenic Confederation of Commerce and Entrepreneurship's (ESEE) research institute.The rate of closures in the greater Athens area, for instance, slowed by 0.41 percent, compared to the previous six-month period.According to ESEE's leadership, the first positive indications in the specific sector are judged as crucial for its stability and duration, and for a growth prospect.