HDE-Konsumbarometer: Robuste deutsche Wirtschaft: Kann der Handel auf das Weihnachtsgeschäft hoffen?
Tankrabatt und bessere Konjunkturdaten stabilisieren die Verbraucherlaune. Die Konsumenten blicken positiver auf die nächsten Monate. Dem schwachen Einzelhandel würde ein Lichtblick guttun.
Germany's consumer sentiment has shown slight improvement, according to the HDE-Konsumbarometer, which increased by nearly one point to 94.64. The index, calculated monthly by the Handelsblatt Research Institute for the trade association HDE, reflects both expectations for the economy and personal income development. Concerns about inflation and rising interest rates have eased, while the propensity to purchase has increased.
The positive consumer sentiment aligns with other positive economic indicators from recent weeks. The Ifo Business Climate Index from the Munich Ifo Institute has been rising for six months, with business expectations for the companies surveyed improving recently. Both the German government and economic researchers have raised their growth forecasts for 2026 and 2027, with the German economy growing by 0.2% in the third quarter, slightly stronger than the Bundesbank's prediction.
Despite higher energy prices, the German economy appears surprisingly robust. Gross domestic product, adjusted for price, season, and calendar factors, was 1.2% higher than in the third quarter of 2025. Economists expect further recovery in the fourth quarter. Rising defense spending has bolstered industrial production, while the consumer market remains in crisis mode with the retail sector showing no signs of a sustained turnaround.
Written by urgent.news from Handelsblatt's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
