At German Christmas Markets, Smiles Shine Bright but Budgets Are Tight

Kurt Leithner, 80, who helps his daughter run a booth selling dollhouse furniture, said, “I notice people have changed how and what they buy.” Where customers used to pay €30 for a meticulously crafted dollhouse wardrobe, they are now more likely to riffle through smaller items — like cast-iron typewriters or lamps — that cost less than €5. “There are enough people here, it’s just that one has become more thrifty,” he said.

Ingrid Kiel, who together with her husband helps out at a booth that sells ornate wood decorations, said, “You always need mulled wine and sausage.” Pointing to intricately crafted Nativity scenes that can put discerning customers back nearly €1,000, she said, “But this stuff you don’t actually need to live.”

Two-thirds of Germans told pollsters at the McKinsey consulting firm that they expected inflation to drive consumer goods prices higher, and nearly 60 percent said increasing prices were their main worry these days. More than half — 53 percent — said they were planning to save by buying fewer Christmas presents, the survey found, and a minority — 13 percent — said they would forgo gifts altogether.

But to many Nurembergers, the rising cost of living does not diminish the joy of getting together, of exchanging news and gossip, and of living their usual lives.

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/23/world/europe/christmas-markets-germany-economy.html