1.   Already, German retailers say, the austerity drive has dampened consumer spending.

2.   Big German retailers have been under intense price pressure for several years, largely because German consumers have been quick to switch stores in pursuit of lower prices.

3.   But German retailers are only beginning to adopt the practice of rapid-fire discounting to move slow- selling wares off the shelves.

4.   Even before the latest Wal-Mart expansion, German retailers have been forced on the defensive.

5.   German retailers also have suffered a six-year slump, and the price wars only add to their troubles.

6.   German retailers are increasingly expanding in foreign markets to overcome a domestic slump.

7.   German retailers have struggled to lift their prices in the past two years amid weak consumer demand and postwar record joblessness.

8.   German retailers said sales and profit growth could be in store for them after the first few days of longer opening hours.

9.   German retailers have little understanding of shareholder value, Anderson added.

10.   German retailers said soaring unemployment has undermined consumer confidence throughout the year and they see no pick-up over Christmas.