Just three days after Christmas, Germans are back in their numbers at stores, returning unwanted gifts and making the most of after Christmas sales.

Shoppers were out in force in the German capital on Monday. People in KaDeWe, one of Europe's largest department stores, showing little of the financial pinch that has characterized 2009 as they browsed the goods on offer.

One shopper said he was returning a model car.

Paul Daehre said, "We've brought it back today. We want to exchange it for something different. It's not because we don't like it but more that it didn't quite work in the way we expected it to."

Christmas has also brought some much needed cheer to the retail sector. A spokeswoman for the Association of German Retailers, said that the last few shopping days of the year can often make a positive difference to the books.

Ulrike Hoerchens, Spokesperson of Association of German Retailers, said, "The retail sector also felt the crisis but not anywhere near as badly as many other industries. We will mostly likely close the year with minus two percent. This is painful for the businesses but in light of the economic crisis we have come away with no more than a black eye."

The positive figures will also take away some of the pain of a recent high court decision, that shops in Germany will no longer be able to open four Sundays in a row before Christmas from next year. That's an unwelcome present for them.

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