Last December was the worst for Dutch shopkeepers in 10 years, with sales falling 4% compared with December 2011, according to the national statistics office CBS.

Prices were 2.8% higher year-on-year but this was not enough to compensate for the 6.7% drop in volume terms, the CBS said.

In particular, furniture stores and DIY shops had a difficult month. Supermarkets, however, managed to boost sales 3%, particularly in the second half of the month.