The report arrives ahead of the holiday shopping season, a critically important time for retailers
Steeper rates have increased the debt load of low- and middle-income households
U.S. Conference Board says its consumer confidence index jumped over the past month
Canadians said they're reducing spending, putting off buying big-ticket items
While still positive, consumers’ assessments of the current labour situation continued to weaken: economist
Consumers increasingly seeking cheaper alternatives, bargains or avoiding items they deem too expensive
Elevated prices for food, groceries are main driver of consumers’ view of U.S. economy
Germany, the leading European economy, remained in the dumps in the April-June quarter
Report comes amid upheaval in retail landscape
The central bank's survey shows Canadians' outlook for the future economy was 'pessimistic'