German Retail Figures Still Down

German retail sales figures continue downward slide. The blip in sales which usually accompanies the holiday season did not materialize last Christmas, as Germans proved reluctant to spend, according to a report released by the Federal Statistics Office on Friday. Adjusted sales figures were down 2.3 percent in December, compared to the month before. And things aren’t likely to improve in 2004. Also on Friday, the German trade association BAG, located in Berlin, predicted that sales would decline by 4 to 5 percent in January, compared to the same period last year. Hubertus Pellengahr, a spokesperson for the trade association, said that unless the government manages to push through more reforms, “we can be happy if sales remain level in the new year.”