The arrival of Christmas, the main shopping streets in Europe, the city center square colorful decorations hanging high, dressed up. However, due to inflationary pressures, economic development prospects are bleak, the Christmas shopping season in Europe this year, "chill" burst, people are generally cautious about Christmas spending.

　　In the center of Mostar, southern Bosnia and Herzegovina, Christmas market, Christmas decorations and pop music to support the festive atmosphere. "Prices are really too high now, especially expenses such as food, which puts us under pressure." Vanja Milovic, who was visiting the bazaar with her family, confessed that traveling out is too expensive, so she would rather spend Christmas at home with her family.

　　In a century-old copper ornament store next to the old bridge in Mostar, the veteran owner is making handmade copper plate souvenirs. The shopkeeper said that although there are more tourists during the Christmas period than during the usual winter season, not many people really shell out money for souvenirs. "The economy is very sluggish since the new crown epidemic and the Russia-Ukraine conflict, and we don't have high hopes for the future."

　　The main street of Sweden's capital Stockholm was bustling with activity, and Petra Johansson, who was shopping with her daughter, told reporters, "We won't be buying as many Christmas presents as we have in previous years, and the spending will probably be about 30 percent less."

　　"I don't have any special Christmas vacation plans and will spend it with my family in Zagreb. The rise in the cost of living is putting a huge pressure on us and we are worried about prices." Croatian capital Zagreb citizen Božica Koščak said to reporters with a helpless face.

　　British families have also tightened the "money bag". The Office for National Statistics survey showed that 46% of respondents said they would reduce Christmas food or gift spending. KPMG's head of retail in the United Kingdom, Paul Martin said that this year's Christmas shopping season sales growth is slow, the cost of living crisis affects many families of Christmas spending, retailers will have to carry out long-term and targeted discount activities.

　　Although the recent fall in energy prices, European inflation has weakened, but food prices remain high. Eurostat data show that the eurozone inflation rate fell to 2.4% in November, but food and tobacco and alcohol price increases remain high. The European Central Bank recently projected the eurozone inflation rate at 5.4% in 2023.

　　According to a survey report recently released by the Dutch news site NU.nl, the price of Christmas-related goods in the Netherlands has risen significantly compared to the same period last year, with the price of Christmas wreaths and canned stews rising by about 14%, and the price of bottled red wine rising by an average of about 31%. A reader commented that in the past, shopping in the supermarket can be arbitrary, but now have to open the "survival mode", not only to buy only the essentials, and always looking for discounted products.

　　In Germany, summarizing "Christmas money-saving tips" for readers has become an important task for many media outlets. The German market research organization JFK recently released a report showing that three-quarters of German low-income families intend to save money on Christmas food. The Federation of German Consumer Organizations recently released a report that in November 2023 German food prices rose by nearly 30% compared to June 2021, almost every food category prices have risen sharply, the residents of the life of a wide range of impacts, "particularly worrisome".

　　The public to cut back on spending at the same time, the prospects for the economic development of European countries there is also greater uncertainty. The European Commission released in November 2023 fall economic outlook report, downward revision of this year and next year, the EU and the eurozone economic growth is expected to predict that the EU and the eurozone GDP growth rate of 0.6% in 2023, 2024 EU economic growth of 1.3%, the eurozone growth of 1.2%.

　　As Europe's largest economy, the German economy is now almost at a standstill. Germany's Federal Ministry of Economics and Climate Protection previously predicted that the country's economy will shrink by 0.4% this year and grow by 1.3% next year. Germany's Frankfurt School of Finance and Management Professor Horst Lecher told reporters that high inflation and future uncertainty is affecting the willingness of households to spend, and next year Germany is likely not to see significant economic growth.

　　Croatian economist Zeljko Hodoni is equally pessimistic. He told reporters that the European economy is in serious crisis, especially Germany and Italy. Croatia mainly with these countries for business transactions, next year, including Croatia, the European economy is difficult to have a significant recovery.