RETAIL SECTOR LOOKING FORWARD TO CHRISTMAS

THE Balearics' small shopkeepers are hoping for a profitable festive season are a busy trading month in October.
Retail reports produced by the National Statistics Institute yesterday showed that the Balearics' small shopkeepers enjoyed a near three percent increase in trade during October, compared to the same period last year, and that similar figure are expected for November once collated. The report results have been welcomed on the high street with Christmas and New Year looming and the retail sector hoping for a better festive trading period than over the past few years. With reports this week that the Balearic economy is showing signs of picking up again, some economists believe that the up-turn in retail trade is an indication of a revival of consumer confidence. The Balearic government said yesterday that, during the third quarter of this year, the Balearic economy grew by 2.6 percent - an improvement of one percent on last year.