Trends

Trends is a quarterly newsletter based on our monthly Consumer Confidence Index tracking survey, trends offers insights into Canadian consumers' perceptions of the state of the economy today and where they believe it is headed.

For all media inquiries, or to speak to us about our speakers' bureau, contact Norman Baillie-David.

 

2012

 

Winter, 2012
Consumer Confidence holds steady in Q4 – Alberta continues to lead rest of Canada by wide margin “Canadians remain pretty optimistic as we closed out 2012, and our confidence index is at or near its highest levels in the last two years. Overall, we’re entering 2013 on a high, but not quite euphoric note“ explained Norm Baillie-David, Senior Vice President of TNS in Canada and Director of the Marketing and Social research firm’s monthly tracking study.

 

Summer, 2012
Consumer Confidence up and down in Q2 – Alberta soars while the rest of Canada flounders. The Consumer Confidence Index saw a roller-coaster of sorts in the past quarter. After a very promising start to 2012 (98.6 points in January), the Index slid down to 95.1 the following month where it held relatively steady until May, where it hit a ten-month high of 98.8 points. Unfortunately, consumers’ confidence quickly subsided as the Index ended the quarter down slightly at 96.4 points.

 

Spring, 2012
The Consumer Confidence Index started 2012 with a bang, jumping to 98.6 points (a six-month high) after closing 2011 at 95.0, providing a reason for optimism that 2012 was going to see an upward trend in consumer confidence. However unfortunate, the optimism has not been sustained Canadians’ confidence has drifted back into the holding pattern we have seen for the better part of the last two after the resurgence following the “Great Recession”. The index promptly dropped back to 95.1 the following month, and held steady to finish the first quarter at 95.2 points.

 

2011

 

Autumn, 2011
The Consumer Confidence Index saw modest increases every month during the second quarter of 2011, however quarter three has produced the exact opposite results. This quarter, the Index has dropped in each successive month to a low this month of 96.4 points.

 

Summer, 2011
Canadian Consumers Slowly Gaining Confidence in Economy
After the Consumer Confidence Index finished 2010 in a modest decline, Canadians expressed glimmers of optimism on the economy throughout the first quarter of 2011 which has carried over to the second. In quarter two, we have seen modest increases in the Index each month, which bodes well for the second half of the year.

 

Spring, 2011
Recent Global Events Mean Dark Clouds Back on the Economic Horizon
After the Consumer Confidence Index finished 2010 in a modest decline, Canadians expressed glimmers of optimism on the economy as we opened the new year. "Consumers are teasing us" said Norman Baillie-David, Vice President of TNS Canada and Director of the Marketing and Social research firm's monthly tracking study.

2010

 

Winter, 2010
Holiday Cheer not Enough to Inspire Canadians on the Economy When the Consumer Confidence Index showed six months of steady gains and passed the psychologically important 100-point mark in April 2010, it appeared that positive momentum going was to hold for 2011.

 

Fall, 2010
Canadian consumers still not ready to move forward
When the Consumer Confidence Index passed the psychologically important 100-point mark in April, it appeared that positive momentum was going to hold sway. That has not turned out to be the case. Instead, the index, except for a small uptick in August, has moved downward, settling in the 94-point range.

 

Summer, 2010
Canadian consumers still worrying about the future
The Consumer Confidence Index, which captures both short and long-term influences, did not maintain its first quarter momentum. While it passed the psychologically important 100-point mark in April, it fell back in the remaining two months of the quarter.

 

Spring, 2010
Canadian consumers turning to measured optimism
The Consumer Confidence Index, which captures both short and long-term influences, returned to an upward trend this first quarter, erasing the losses of last year's fourth quarter, and ending the period a smidge ahead of 2009's highest point, which was reached in the third quarter.