Everything depends on this week and whether people will come to the shops in droves to spend the money they have been given as presents. |
For a long time, the Germans held the deutsche mark as a proof of normality, something that held them together. |
People are aware that they have a major problem with their retirement pensions [and] health insurance - they know that they're going to have to contribute more. That makes them insecure. |
The Germans have a different consumption mentality: They don't get into debt. |
The World Cup motto is 'A Time to Make Friends,' and friends should be offered friendly opening times. We want to campaign for shopping in Germany so the more than 1 million visitors in Germany for the World Cup come back to go shopping. |
We now expect that on balance things could improve slightly in 2006. |