Pakistanis angry over detentions in Times Sq. case Monday, May 24, 2010
ISLAMABAD – Relatives of three men detained by Pakistan for alleged links to the suspect in the attempted Times Square bombing say the men are innocent.
They
AFP - Thursday, August 6TAIPEI (AFP) - - Taiwan's Beijing-friendly government on Wednesday denied boycotting an Australian film festival amid a row over the e
BERLIN (Reuters) - Chancellor Angela Merkel suffered a double blow on Thursday as a senior party ally in east German
Minister seeks closure of anti-Berlusconi websites Wednesday, December 16, 2009
ROME (AFP) - – The Italian government moved Tuesday to close down Internet sites encouraging further violence against Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who
By ELAINE KURTENBACH,AP Business Writer AP - Wednesday, March 18SHANGHAI - Asia's stock market rally seemed to be running out of steam Wednesday, despite an
Navigation
Primary Navigation
Home
Singapore
Asia Pacific
World
Business
Entertainment
Sports
Technology
Top Stories
Most Popular
Secondary Navigation
Asia Pacific
World
Search
Search:
Swiss holiday shoppers shrug off financial crisis
AFP - Saturday, December 6
ZURICH (AFP) - - The never-ending stream of shoppers snapping up holiday gifts at Zurich's main shopping street Bahnhofstrasse are sending tills ringing, but traders fear this may be the last surge before the drought.
Sales in "October were still relatively good," with most shops posting better results than 2007, said the chairman of the Bahnhofstrasse association, Markus Huenig.
"But the growth is weaker than a year ago, especially for jewellers," he said.
Decorated with festive bells, lights and wreaths, Bahnhofstrasse and its numerous luxury boutiques are getting ready for a sales marathon in the lead-up to Christmas, when not only the locals but also foreigners who descend on the affluent city for a shopping spree.
While major luxury brands are keeping mum about their sales, independent boutiques say that the economic crisis has not had an impact on sales at the moment.
Hans-Walter Meyer, who is deputy director of jeweller and watch-maker Guebelin, said clients appeared not to have been affected by the crisis.
Watch boutique Meister chimed the same positive note, with its director Daniel Schollenberger saying he has "not witnessed any slowdown."
"2008 would post around the same level (of sales) as a year ago, but if there is a small drop this year, it is because 2007 was an exceptional year," he said.
Mid-way along Bahnhofstrasse, across from two banks that were humbled by the subprime crisis, UBS and Credit Suisse, stands the Savoy Hotel, one of the most prestigious addresses and popular with high-spending foreigners.
"We are fully booked and 2008 should post the same level of sales as the year ago," director of the five-star hotel Manfred Hoerger said.
"There would be some change in 2009, but it is difficult to make forecasts."
Economic institute KOF also confirmed the trend in a recent study which found that sales would grow at year-end.
The situation should last into the "first months" of 2009, said KOF, adding that "Swiss households would only adjust their purchases in the course of next year."
At the moment, the shoppers of Bahnhofstrasse appear to shrug off economic indicators, which are increasingly pointing towards a recession.
The UBS consumption indicator fell in October, while the last quarterly survey by the Economic Ministry found that the consumer confidence was weakening.
The OECD expects the Swiss economy to slip into a recession next year, with negative growth of 0.2 percent before rebounding in 2010.
Email Story
IM Story
Printable View
Blog This
Recommend this article
Average (0 votes)
Sign in to recommend this article »
Most Recommended Stories »
Related Articles: Entertainment & Lifestyle
O.J. Simpson sentenced to at least 15 yearsAP - 1 hour 36 minutes ago
Revised 'Harry Potter' encyclopedia to be releasedAP - 1 hour 43 minutes ago
Bill O'Reilly to end syndicated radio showAP - 1 hour 46 minutes ago
Aretha Franklin among performers at King concertAP - 2 hours 21 minutes ago
Auction companies to implement layoffsAP - 2 hours 23 minutes ago
Enlarge Photo
People walk on Bahnhofstrasse on December 2, 2008 in Zurich. The never-ending stream of shoppers snapping up holiday gifts at Zurich's main shopping street Bahnhofstrasse are sending tills ringing, but traders fear this may be the last surge before the drought.
Most Popular – Entertainment
Viewed
Big Three automakers face skeptical Congress in rescue plea
Cruise ship runs aground in Antarctica
Do not disturb eggs: MP reveals Britain's oddest laws
Central banks slash interest rates to drive back recession
Wall Street plunges as recession becomes reality
View Complete List »
Search:
Home
Singapore
Asia Pacific
World
Business
Entertainment
Sports
Technology
Top Stories
Most Popular