The third quarter 2017 shows a good trend of consumer sentiment within the EU 28. According to GfK it goes on increasing, finishing on 20.9 points. This is up from 19.1 points at the end of Q2 and now stands at a level not seen since the end of 2007.
«Private consumption – commented Rolf Bürkl, GfK’s consumer expert – has proved a major pillar for the EU economy during the last quarter with several countries either improving or holding steady on the ‘propensity to buy’ measure. This has combated the more mixed results seen in individual countries within the other measures, where economic expectation has dropped in France, Germany and Portugal, and income expectation has fallen in France, Austria and Germany, compared to the second quarter of 2017.»
Regarding Germany, in September the market recorded both income expectations and propensity to buy decreased. GfK forecasts a decrease in consumer climate for October of 0.1 points in comparison to the previous month to 10.8 points. However, consumers believe that the German economy’s solid growth trend is set to continue in fall. Therefore, economic expectations will also increase after losses from the preceding month.