German Retail Sales Dip for 3rd Straight Month

German retail sales declined in November for the third straight month, a sign that growth in Europe’s largest economy may have slowed in the final quarter of 2000. Sales fell 1.3% in November, the biggest decline since June, after dropping a revised 0.4% in October, the government said. Economists had expected a 0.3% gain in November. Consumer spending, which accounts for 60% of Germany’s gross domestic product, has been dampened by high fuel prices, which have risen by about a third since the beginning of 1999. Excluding sales of cars and gasoline, retail sales actually rose 0.4% for November, according to Bundesbank.