Consumer reluctance to buy is increasing somewhat in December. There is a shift from consumption to saving. While consumer propensity declines compared to the previous month and offers a moderate Christmas business, higher savings amounts are envisaged in the planning for the next few weeks.
The continued uncertainty of consumers shows that caution and restraint continue to prevail. Their view of the development of the overall economy is pessimistic, their economic expectations are declining compared to the previous month and falling to the lowest level since the beginning of 2024. Consumers do not seem to expect that the coming turn of the year will be associated with significant macroeconomic growth.
Consumers, on the other hand, are optimistic about their personal income situation. Compared to the previous month, their income expectations are increasing. This development may be due to the first discharges for citizens decided by the Federal Government, HDE said in a press release.
The year 2025 thus ends almost at the unsatisfactory level at which it started the year for consumer sentiment. Not only for the overall economy, but also for the consumer mood, 2025 was thus a lost year, which did not bring the hoped-for recovery. Consumers are also reluctant, indicating a subdued Christmas business without new sales records. In the face of weakening consumption, sustainable economic growth is not in sight.
The HDE consumer barometer, which appears on the first Monday of each month, is based on a monthly survey of 1,600 people for the tendency to purchase, the tendency to save, financial situation and other consumption-relevant factors.
ALCHEMPro News Desk (RR)
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