Dutch shoppers turn frugal amid economic downturn

STORY: Dutch shoppers turn frugal amid economic downturn SHOOTING TIME: December 21, 23, 2023 DATELINE: Dec. 24, 2023 LENGTH: 0:01:15 LOCATION: THE HAGUE, the Netherlands CATEGORY: ECONOMY SHOTLIST: 1. various of a Christmas market in the Hague, the Netherlands. 2. various of street scenes with Christmas decorations in Amsterdam STORYLINE: With Storm Pia wreaking havoc throughout the Netherlands, the harsh weather conditions have dealt yet another blow to the already sluggish pre-Christmas sales in Amsterdam, the Dutch capital. Long before the storm hit the Dutch shores, however, stubbornly high inflation had already cast a shadow over the festive season by prompting Dutch shoppers to watch their budgets more closely. According to a report by Dutch news website NU.nl, some festive products like Christmas wreaths and ragout cost 10 percent more now than a year ago. The latest figures from Statistics Netherlands (CBS) also confirm that Dutch shoppers are now buying less food and drinks than they did a yea