The two public holidays of a few days ago may have served to kick start the Christmas shopping season but retailers remain dissatisfied with the level of commerce and are hoping most consumers have left it to the last week to purchase their gifts.

Several shop assistants who work in Valletta told The Times that, so far, business has been slower than in previous years as shoppers seem to be hanging on to their cash in this time of recession.

Many do feel that last week's public holiday - the feast of the Immaculate Conception on Tuesday - stirred some enthusiasm for a trip to the shops, which carried on into Republic Day celebrated last Sunday.

However, window shopping does not necessarily translate into purchases - while the revamp of St George's Square has attracted people to the capital, retailers complain that business is still slow, according to Carmen Borg of the Chamber of Small and Medium Enterprises - GRTU.

With the new utility tariffs having only just been announced, Malta Employers' Association president Pierra Fava blamed the situation partly on "the government's insensitivity towards Christmas". He described business as being in "a pitiful state".

Two people who work at a bookstore and at a house shop in Valletta agreed that while the public holidays may have brought some relief, business was so far slower than last year despite the discounted prices.

A salesgirl at a clothes' shop said it may still be too early to judge how Christmas shopping was doing since people could still have quite a few things to buy.

"Leaving things till the very end is a typical Maltese trait," according to a toy shop owner who agreed that business was slow... but saw hope of some improvement.