"Why on earth should shops in Kassel or on the shores of Lake Constance stay open 24 hours a day when football fans are packing stadiums in Stuttgart and Frankfurt?" it has asked.

The German association of small and mid-sized retailers (BAG) acknowledged that "the extension of shopping hours has not resulted in an increase in the number of customers".

It said the World Cup would still bring its members an estimated additional two billion euros (2.5 billion dollars) in turnover, but that not all businesses stood to profit.

"Those who had hoped that big Brazilian families would come to stock up for the year on clothes and pots and pans, are going to be disappointed," BAG president Rolf Pangels said.

When the World Cup ends on July 9, German consumers will have to learn to make it to the shops on time again as traders like the bookshop's Krause have no intention of making a habit out of staying open late.

"As a once-off thing, why not? But I am certainly not going to do it on a permanent basis," she said.