The Christmas business, traditionally the most important time for German retail, has been disappointing so far.

Particularly affected is the shoe and clothing trade, which suffers from weak customer frequency in city centers. By contrast, companies in the sectors of drugstores, cosmetics, bookstores, technology, and food are more satisfied, reporting more stable sales.

Only a quarter of the 318 retailers surveyed expressed a positive view in an HDE trend survey on the progress of the Christmas business so far. Larger retail companies in particular were slightly more optimistic. Total sales for November and December are estimated at 121.4 billion euros – an increase of 1.3 percent compared to the previous year.

The dampened consumer enthusiasm could also impact the coming weeks, as the industry traditionally relies on a stronger second half of December.