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.
