Markit Economics released its retail purchasing managers' index (PMI) for Germany on Friday. Germany's retail purchasing managers' index (PMI) declined to 49.6 in November from 52.4 in October.
The decline was driven by a fall in retail sales.
"It is too early to say whether the fractional drop in sales was an outlier or whether November's survey results are the start of a downturn," an economist at Markit, Oliver Kolodseike, said.