GfK's survey asks some 2,000 people about their expectations for economic activity and salaries, as well as their openness to making purchases. On all three issues, respondents were more pessimistic than last month. Despite the darkening clouds, GfK noted that Germans remained in the mood to shop, benefitting from a strong labour market, high wages and low incentives to save.

Germany's economic output shrank by 0.1 percent between April and June, and figures slated for release next month are expected to show a contraction in the third quarter as well - meeting the definition of a technical recession.

Copyright Agence France-Presse, 2019