Retail sales in Germany fell back sharply in March, below even the most pessimistic forecasts. In real, or inflation-adjusted terms, sales dropped by 3% in March compared with February, and lost 4% on the year. Analysts had been forecasting a drop of around 2.7% on an annual basis. Increasing unemployment and anaemic economic growth conspired to keep Germans away from the shops. The sales data from the Federal Statistics Office will alarm policymakers as Europe's biggest economy struggles to shrug off the effects of the downturn. Gloomy outlook In a sign of the pain that retailers are feeling, the German...