Germans Go Festive to Lure Buyers Into Department Stores
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Step inside a Kaufhof, Karstadt or other German department store this holiday season, and you’ll find yourself in sensory overload. There are roast goose and fresh pastries. Kids can get free baking lessons. And at one store a top designer will read Christmas stories.
After years of declining sales, store closings and job cuts, the country’s big retailers see the holidays as a chance to recapture some of the magic. German shoppers will increase Christmas spending more than other Europeans this year, according to consultant Deloitte.