Fri, 02 Mar 2012 10:05:39 GMT
Retail sales in Germany fell in January
Retail sales in Germany unexpectedly dropped in January as surging crude prices boosted inflation. Inflation adjusted retail sales lost 1.6% compared to December, said Federal Statistics Office on Friday. Economists predicted an improvement of 0.5%. Rising energy costs bolstered German January inflation to 2.5%. Nevertheless the country faces 20-year record low unemployment level and consumer confidence keeps climbing.