BCG: Consumer Confidence is Retreating

Despite talk of a recovery, consumers feel more apprehensive about the future than they did before the downturn, according to a new report by The Boston Consulting Group.

| June 28, 2011

Despite talk of a recovery, consumers feel more apprehensive about the future than they did before the downturn, according to a new report by The Boston Consulting Group. In the U.S., 57 percent of respondents said they have been personally affected by the downturn—up 8 percentage points from last year. Europe saw a 6 percentage point increase.

BCG's 2011 global report on consumer sentiment—Navigating the New Consumer Realities—finds that anxiety is on the rise everywhere, but confidence is closely tied to the economy of specific countries.

Nearly 70 percent of Italians say they feel anxious about the future, whereas Germany, however, is the only country with a significant decline in anxiety. But the story is different in emerging markets, where many consumers plan to spend more this year: 36 percent of Chinese respondents and 19 percent of Indians said that they plan to increase spending.

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