Source:Insee

1 DECEMBER 2011

HOUSEHOLD CONSUMPTION of manufactured products inched up +0.3% month-on-month as car sales, Durable Goods best of class, dipped -1%. Sales of textile-leather products surged +3.8% thanks to flash sales as the Fall weather stepped in following an unusually warm September month. Sales of other manufactured products climbed +0.9% and household equipment +1.1% for the second consecutive month. Sales of food products decreased by 0.3% as food price inflation bit in due to fresh products prices steep +1.6% spike.
Mild weather also pushed down energy consumption, -2% as consumption of crude oil products fell -2.2%.

Whereas the Euro area's turbulences had been pushed aside by households, back from their Summer break, the previous month , October debacle rendered households prudent : the single currency's debt crisis deterioration turned tangible upon news of European banks recapitalizations due to their exposure to Greek sovereign bonds. As a result, weak consumer demand flattened  overall consumption of manufactured products due to Durable Goods -0.2%, and a more drastic -4.8% since January.

In one year, household consumption of manufactured products dipped -0.2% as Durable Goods modest +0.5% rise reflected the chaotic economic context impact on household demand, on top of a weak buying power. Sales of food products fell -0.3% as food price inflation on the same period soared +3.4%. 
Car sales dropped -2%, textile-leather -0.5% while sales of household equipment +2.2% and other manufactured products +1.8% translated peaks recorded for the most part during sales periods. Energy prices +13.9% hike pushed down consumption of energy products -5.9% nearly equally to lesser demand for oil products, down -6.9%.