Consumer Confidence Slips

Not good news for retailers. Nielsen Wire reports the re emergence of recessionary attitudes.  Their key findings are:

• 58% of global online consumers said they are still in a recession – the most in the past year. More than half believe they will still be in a recession in a year’s time.
• 31% of U.S. consumers said they have no spare cash for discretionary spending, along with 25% of Middle East/Africa consumers and 22% of Europeans.
• U.S. fell five index points to 78, two points lower than the 80 points recorded at the height of the recession in the first half of 2009.
• Indian consumers, despite a five point quarterly decline, remained the most positive.
• Largest confidence declines in Q2 were recorded in Egypt and Saudi Arabia, which had enjoyed the biggest increases in Q1 2011.
• Increasing utility bills and inflation again eclipsed the economy and job security as main concerns in Europe.
• Latin America consumer confidence edges up one index point to 91.

Related articles

• U.S. Consumer Confidence Now Lower Than At Height Of Global Recession (huffingtonpost.com)
• Inflation hits consumer confidence (mirror.co.uk)