Germany's savers open their wallets a little

Berlin

GERMANY'S record low unemployment is persuading Europe's nation of savers to open their wallets and live a little.

Take Olaf Heintze, who splashed some of his engineer's salary on a bottle of Scotch whisky he tried at a recent tasting. At 65 euros (S$96), it wasn't exactly cheap. Still, he felt he'd earned it.

"A bit of luxury every now and then is important," the 52-year-old Hamburg resident said as he left a liquor store with his Ardbeg Corryvreckan. "Times are good in Germany, and I am happy about that."

His purchase contributed to the country's rising retail sales, which jumped 3.6 per cent in February. It was the third straight monthly increase, coming after 2014 marked the biggest leap in 18 years. The gains are thanks to the lowest unemployment rate - 6.4 per cent - since reu…