Dutch consumer confidence down slightly
Consumer confidence fell slightly in January. Compared with December 2007 consumers were especially more negative about the Dutch economic climate, while the willingness to buy increased slightly.
Structure consumer confidence
The elated sentiment about the economic climate in the summer of 2007 has changed into a more sombre mood. Compare with December, consumers are significantly more pessimistic about the economic climate in the next twelve months. Their opinions on the economic situation in 2007 also deteriorated.
Consumers’ willingness to buy, on the other hand, did increase in January. Compared with December, consumers were less negative about their own financial situation in the past twelve months. They were also slightly more optimistic about their financial situation in the next twelve months. Consumers were also a more positive about buying costly goods such as a car or furniture, than they were a month ago.
The survey took place in the first ten working days of January. Since the late nineties developments in the AEX index and in consumer confidence have been almost parallel. This is described in “Consumer confidence closely matches sentiments on the stock exchange”.
Consumer confidence is corrected for seasonal influences. The article ”Consumers always more gloomy in the autumn” examines mood swings of consumers in more detail.
