Did you know ...? Czech consumer confidence rose in January – to its highest level since March 2022 – a statistics office survey showed on Tuesday, suggesting that signs that inflation is peaking are helping sentiment in a shrinking economy, reports Reuters. The statistics office’s confidence indicator rose to 82.9 in January – up from 75.5 in December. The record low is 72.7 – hit last October. Business confidence also ticked up in January, the data showed. “January surveys of consumers and business confidence support our expectations that the Czech economy can stabilise in the first quarter, after quarterly drops in the second half last year,” said Radomír Jáč, chief economist at Generali Investments CEE.
Did you know ...? German consumer sentiment is set to improve for a fourth consecutive month in February, as energy prices fall, a GfK institute survey has shown. The institute noted that its consumer sentiment index rose to -33.9, heading into February, from a revised reading of -37.6 in January, but it was slightly below forecasts of -33.0 from analysts polled by Reuters. “Falling energy prices, such as for gasoline and heating oil, have ensured that consumer sentiment is less gloomy,” said GfK consumer expert Rolf Buerkl. Nevertheless, Buerkl warned that 2023 will remain difficult for the German economy.
Did you know ...? Aldi Süd has announced that it has reached the milestone of 2,000 stores in Germany, with a landmark store set to open in Hamminkeln-Mehrhoog on 26 January, reports ESMmagazine.com. “Opening the 2,000th Aldi Süd branch is something special for us,” commented Jan Riemann, director of property. “For more than 100 years, we have been making sustainable shopping affordable for everyone in the Aldi Süd branches and are continuously improving accessibility for our customers.”
© 2023 Checkout – your source for the latest Irish retail news. Article by Donna Ahern. For more retail news, click here. Click subscribe to sign up for the Checkout print edition.
