German ‘Boom Year’: While Americans could well...

German ‘Boom Year’: While Americans could well spend 4% less on Christmas holiday shopping this year, Germany is experiencing a boom. German holiday shoppers are expected to spend up to 10% more this year than last, in large part because of reunification. In early December, F. W. Woolworth Co. reopened a store in Halle, formerly part of East Germany, to 300-yard lines of customers. The company is planning to open at least 50 stores the next three to five years. The Communications Electronics Assn. in Frankfurt says its members’ sales already exceed 7 billion deutsche marks for items such as stereos, television sets, radios and video recorders.