EASTERN EUROPEAN BEVERAGE SALES RISE.(Brief Article)
Although beverage sales in Western Europe have stagnated in recent
years, Eastern Europe is poised to become the fastest growing beverage
market in the world.
According to a report recently . . .
IMPEDIMENTS TO CROATIAN CONSUMPTION.(Brief Article)
Croatia is experiencing a moderate amount of economic expansion,
but there are a number of factors that are preventing the private sector
from living up to its consumption potential. Before . . .
SWITZERLAND'S CONSUMPTION QUAGMIRE.(Brief Article)
Swiss private sector consumption stagnated as EU commercial
activity took a downturn in recent years. With domestic sales stalled
and unemployment on the rise, it looks as though 2004 will bring . . .
TIME PRESSURES SHAPE UK PREFERENCES.(United Kingdom)(Brief
Article)
Consumers in the UK have enjoyed a generalized increase in
prosperity in recent years and their more active lifestyles are driving
up sales at restaurants and health food stores. The number of . . .
FRENCH PRIVATE SPENDING NUDGES UPWARD.(Brief Article)
During the third quarter of 2003, French private sector demand
gained modest upward momentum, raising hopes that the economy had
bottomed out and that internal demand will rebound in . . .
GERMAN CONSUMERS LACK MOTIVATION.(Brief Article)
Unemployment dipped slightly during the third quarter of 2003, but
that was not enough to drive a sustainable improvement in consumer
confidence. Job-related concerns and lack of confidence in . . .
EASTERN EUROPE'S CHANGING CONSUMER EXPECTATIONS.
Faced with the prospect of European Union (EU) accession and the
ever increasing presence of competing foreign products, Eastern European
producers of consumer goods are rushing to upgrade their . . .
RUSSIAN HOUSEHOLD CONSUMPTION TO RISE.
Modest growth in real wages during 2003 will help to boost Russian
discretionary income while putting upward pressure on demand for
imported consumer goods.
On average, Russian wages should rise . . .
GERMAN SALES LACK UPWARD MOMENTUM.
German business confidence bottomed out in January of this year but
a gradual improvement since then portends a rebound in capital spending
once there are convincing signs that demand for German . . .
EUROZONE INVESTMENT LACKING.(Brief Article)
Business leaders in the eurozone are holding back on investment
until the climate for private sector sales growth improves. Internal
consumption of goods and services from the eurozone are up about . . .
SPANISH CONSUMER DEBT ON THE RISE.(Brief Article)
By the second quarter of this year, consumer indebtedness was
increasing at a rate of over 10 percent year-on-year. Record low
interest rates will probably motivate Spanish households to take on . . .
BELGIUM'S PRIVATE SECTOR STAGNATION.(Brief Article)
Slow growth in both internal and external demand for Belgian goods
and services will contribute to lackluster GDP expansion of 1.4 percent
in 2003 and 1.5 percent in 2004. With unemployment . . .
A PROFIT SQUEEZE FOR IRISH SERVICES.(Brief Article)
The overall economic slowdown in EU demand for goods and services
is beginning to rub off on Irish internal demand. Profit margins in the
service sector were squeezed during the first half of this . . .
CZECH REPUBLIC LOSING COMPETITIVE EDGE.(Brief Article)
The nearly 34 percent rise in the value of the Czech Republics
currency (the koruna) since mid-2001 has put a dent in the
competitiveness of that nations goods and services. That factor,
combined . . .
MODEST SALES GAINS IN FRANCE.
Compared with the other leading economies of the European Union,
Frances consumer spending growth of 0.6 percent during the first four
months of this year looked good. However, it is important to . . .
SLIDE IN UK SERVICE SPENDING TO BRING DOWN INFLATION.(United
Kingdom)
Growth in UK household expenditure on services steadily grew by
about 5 percent year-on-year until the second quarter of this year when
it dropped off due to decreased rents and lower fuel costs. . . .
IRISH INTERNAL DEMAND LOSES MOMENTUM.
Strong internal demand for Irish goods and services supported a
healthy rate of economic expansion through 2002, but such will not be
the case for 2003 and 2004. Slack household demand for consumer . . .
SLOVAKIA ON TRACK FOR GROWTH.
The willingness of Slovakias government to make fundamental
market-oriented reforms is beginning to pay off by means of a
sustainable increase in living standards. Household demand for goods . . .
EU SALES LACK SUSTAINABLE GROWTH.(European Union)(Brief
Article)
Household consumption of goods and services in the EU has been
generally depressed so far in 2003 and no trigger for sustainable growth
is likely to emerge for the remainder of this year. The . . .
THE UK SPENDING BOOM FADES.(United Kingdom)(Brief
Article)
By the second quarter of this year, the consumer spending boom that
defied bearish conditions in the rest of the EU showed clear signs of
winding down. Recent cuts in the prime interest rate should . . .
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