Consumer researchers expect the Christmas business to start early in the German retail sector.
"The pressure is particularly strong this year to be there in time," said the managing director of the Institute for Retail Research (IFH Cologne), Kai Hudetz, in an interview with the Reuters news agency published on Friday.
"Because many retailers have full stocks due to general consumer restraint as a result of inflation and price increases." The Chinese online retailer and Amazon competitor Alibaba, which is also active in Germany, already advertised on social media channels in August with lines like "Prepare yourself now for the Christmas season” for its sales campaigns in September.
Irrespective of the sharp rise in inflation, customers can still find one or two bargains.
The skyrocketing energy prices made many goods more expensive.
"On the other hand, many retailers have full warehouses because they expected a different course of the season," said Hudetz.
The market pressure will therefore ensure that the price level for a number of products will go down - especially for inventory goods that may have been ordered before the inflation surge.
"This forces retailers to offer the remaining goods at a discount," said the consumer researcher.