The history of the Xalkiadakis family dates back to the beginning of the century. It all started with a small shop bearing the unique name "The Spring of Dew," which opened in Garazo, Mylopotamos. Perhaps this was the "forerunner" of the company’s current chain of stores. This was followed by commercial activity in Heraklion, with wholesale and retail stores. Kostas Xalkiadakis designed a business tailored to his needs, yet innovative for its time. He was the one who taught his children the secrets of commerce and, above all, business ethics.

The big breakthrough came when the Xalkiadakis brothers decided to transform the local market. This era is vividly captured in the newspaper articles of the time:

"The opening ceremony was attended by a large crowd, who warmly congratulated the owners on their new offering to the city's consumers..." (Patris newspaper).

"It is the result of a painstaking market study and aims to provide the public with the most comprehensive and appropriate service in a civilized and attractive environment..." (Demokratis newspaper).

These young entrepreneurs knew the Cretan consumer well. Being Cretans themselves, they felt a sense of responsibility toward their customers—customers who, however, were not strangers or unknown to them. They were friends, neighbors, relatives, or at the very least, acquaintances. And a friend demands respect from a friend. Heraklion was smaller and certainly more human.

The people of Heraklion seemed taken by surprise. They had heard of supermarkets before, as there had been earlier attempts to create modern shopping centers. These efforts, however, had not come to fruition. For many, the new supermarket seemed to be a departure from the norms of the local market.

Once again, we read in the newspapers of the time: "Prices are incredibly low. The Xalkiadakis supermarkets base their profit margin not on high margins, but on high volume. This is working out wonderfully, since the new store has the best prices in Heraklion...".

The first advertisements were also a surprise. Every Tuesday, the newspaper pages featured a bold box where the week’s special offers were published. "These offers give people the chance to buy basic necessities at almost cost price..." wrote the press at the time.

Ultimately, it was a new way of shopping. It was the variety and the quality. It was the first step toward an era that would eventually reach Crete as well. The growth of the Xalkiadakis company was strongly supported by Cretan consumers, making the Xalkiadakis chain the number one supermarket chain in Crete in terms of brand recognition, loyalty, and preference.