Achtung Christmas Shoppers
The festively decorated Galeria Kaufhof department store in this western German town is cutting prices on items from fleece sweaters to toy castles. At the Karstadt store across the street, the discounts range from cashmere sweaters to fondue sets.
Not too long ago, these sales would have been against the law.
In contrast to the U.S., where pre-Christmas price cuts play a key part in retailers' strategies -- and shoppers' buying plans -- holiday sales mark a small revolution in European retailing. For decades, European retailers could cut prices only during certain periods set by the government. The winter sales, usually in January, came too late for cash-strapped Christmas shoppers.
In 2004, Germany's retail laws changed to allow stores to hold sales when they please, but most retailers still kept prices high in the holiday season. Now, though, that last remnant of traditional retail regulation is cracking as well.
'It's so practical that the rigid rules for sales have been lifted,' says Ute Schoppe, a 50-year-old mother of two in Berlin who bought a ski suit for her 9-year-old son, Leon, at almost half-price last week. 'In the past, I always had to pay attention not to miss the first days of the sale, because the real bargains sold out right away, and I often didn't feel like fighting the crowds. Now there are even sales before Christmas, and I can take my time comparing prices.'
Germany's Bild tabloid newspaper recently highlighted the still-novel sales in a story headlined, 'More than 500 amazing Christmas bargains -- save up to 75%.' The concept is so foreign that signs in stores often use the English word 'sale.'
European retail regulation began to loosen in the 1990s, pushed by efforts to harmonize European Union states' laws, the onslaught of global competition, and the rise of Internet retailing that allowed for cross-border bargain hunting and shopping outside strictly r [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] 下一页 |
