Christmas comes slowly to austerity-hit Europe

Published December 22, 2012 7:31am ET



PARIS (AP) — Across Europe, holiday “shoppers” this season are doing more browsing than buying.

Retailers remain hopeful for a last-minute burst of Christmas consumerism, and some governments are encouraging it by allowing stores to open on Sunday. But with economies across the region slowing and unemployment soaring, analysts say holiday spending in Europe is bound to disappoint for the fourth year in a row.

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