date:Dec 29, 2012
ent drop the sharpest fall on record, according to the National Statistics Institute.
Consumer confidence has plummeted in Spain, where one in four of the workforce is jobless and the economy is not expected to grow until 2014.
Sales in the retail sector officially start next month, but shops are already offering discounts on some items. Spain's trade federation said Christmas shopping did not go as well as expected and sales were down compared to 2011.
Spaniards were expected to spend 3.9 pe