Roundup: European consumers show restraint as Christmas shopping season kicks off

VALLETTA, Dec. 3 (Xinhua) -- As Black Friday ushers in the 2024 Christmas shopping season, consumers across Europe are spending cautiously on holiday gifts, amid a sluggish economic recovery and declining consumer confidence.

"All prices have gone to the sky, and my pension has been symbolically increased," said Croatian pensioner Miso Ciliga, adding that he would spend no more or even less than last year during