Source: Nielsen
At a macro level, economic conditions around the globe ended 2018 on an upbeat note. Global consumer confidence, as reported by the Conference Board, was at its highest level in 14 years, a full seven points above the baseline confidence level of 100.
That said, however, 39 of the 64 countries included in the global Consumer Confidence Index, which is produced in collaboration with Nielsen, reported declines in confidence, well above the 19 in third-quarter 2018.
Fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) and GDP growth was strongest in Asia-Pacific, and consumers in the region feel the best globally about their financial well-being. Comparatively, only 37% of consumers in Europe believe their conditions have improved over the past five years.
When it comes to the region of Eastern and Central Europe, the report shows positive signs of growth across various markets and indicators. The report, however, notes that this region brings fragmented views when it comes to prospects for the future over the past five years. Such attitudes are attributed to big differences between spending capabilities and spending habits by individual countries, and the report suggests that it may be necessary to adopt more segmented approach to products and pricing in these markets.
It should also be mentioned that Croatia, Slovenia and Serbia in this region are among those countries that have a positive consumer confidence index and represent the countries where growth potential in the FMCG industry was recognized.
All these are data from the Quarter by Numbers report, which help clients gain better insight into the situation in their market. Nielsen’s fourth-quarter 2018 report covers 66 countries across five regions. This quarterly series provides a global snapshot of what’s going on in markets today.
Five reports are produced to help clients zero in specific regions of the world. The series is available free of charge to all Nielsen clients. They are also for sale to non-clients. This lite report represents an overview of the insights detailed in the five regional reports.
You can find the report for Europe here.
