Cheap and cheerless
It is surprisingly hard to make money out of German shoppers. And the task shows no sign of becoming easier
HOW'S this for a shopkeeper's paradise? The market is the biggest in Western Europe. The people are among the continent's richest. And all sorts of helpful regulations limit competition: below-cost clearance sales are legal only twice a year, for instance, and the law forces shops to close for the weekend at 4pm on Saturday—although this may soon change (see article).
This article appeared in the Business section of the print edition under the headline “Cheap and cheerless”
From the September 2nd 2000 edition
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