Christmas: The Embarrassing Reality Of A Beautiful Vision

Japanese businesses use all kinds of skills to attract customers during Christmas.

But because of deflation, it is not easy for customers to spend money happily, especially after the East Japan earthquake.

Japan

The United States: there are worries behind the heated consumption.

In the United States, many consumers reflect the Christmas of businessmen.

Greece: greeting Christmas under the shadow of debt

The Greek National Business Association predicts that Christmas sales will be only 9 billion 250 million euros this year, much lower than 13 billion 200 million euros in 2010 and 16 billion 400 million euros in 2009.

The survey also showed that the average Christmas consumption per Greek group was 288 euros this year, compared with 410 euros and 550 euros last year and the year before last.

Although some businesses have offered a discount of up to 50% and extended their business hours, the Association estimates that about 25 thousand small businesses will be forced to close after the Christmas and new year's Eve.

Germany: Christmas consumption enthusiasm rising

The German Retailers Association expects that the sales volume in Germany will reach 78 billion euros in the Christmas season this year, an increase of 1.5% over the same period last year.

A huge contrast is that in euro zone countries such as Greece, Portugal and Ireland, which are deeply in debt crisis, the per capita consumption of Christmas will be reduced by 7% to 23%.

Most experts attribute this pre Christmas optimism to Germany's strong economic fundamentals.

However, many experts and research institutes have also sounded the alarm for Germany's economic prospects next year.

Britain: the economic meaning of white Christmas

This year's Christmas shopping season saw a rare warm winter in Britain.

Although the sun is much more, the popularity of commercial streets is still low.

The British Retail Association blamed the trouble on the weather, saying that warm winter led to a decline in sales of warm clothing and winter shoes.

According to the British Retail Research Center, the consumption of British people fell 5% year-on-year on the last Saturday before Christmas.

Retailers are looking forward to the coming of Christmas, which may open up their pockets. But in the light of the gloomy economic outlook, perhaps only a white Christmas can make a miracle in order to change the prudent attitude of consumers in spending money.

It is clear that the fundamental reason for the sluggish retail industry is the economic downturn.

Kenya: Christmas is a sweet burden.

In Kenya, Christmas is approaching. The shelves of large supermarkets in the streets of Nairobi are full of ribbons, and the shop windows are full of green Christmas trees and glinting lights. But these can not arouse the excitement of the local people.

Compared with last year's Christmas season, almost everything in Kenya is rising, but there is no corresponding increase in household income.

Harlan Mwai is a hawker selling Christmas trees in the suburbs of Nairobi.

In the past, he said his business was "very good", but many customers changed their minds this year and decided to cut down "unnecessary expenses", so the Christmas tree business was cold.

Mwai said he did not blame the guests, because they were all the "disaster" caused by the economic situation.