23 April 2010

2010- n° 111

In March, households consumption in manufactured goods increased (+1.2%) Household consumption expenditure on goods - March 2010

In March, households consumption in manufactured goods increased by 1.2% in volume*. Given the decreases in January and February, these expenditures diminished by 1.9% over the first quarter, after +3.2% in Q4 2009.

[* Volumes are chained and all figures are trading days and seasonally adjusted.]

Expenditures in durables increased by 1.2% in March after decreases in February (–0.9%) and, particularly, January (–7.7%).

This increase can be mainly imputed to car purchases. The scrapage program has been scaled down on January 1^st, inducing a drop in car purchases at the beginning of the year (-16.5% in January, then –1,6% in February). However, in March, sales were dynamic again. Over the quarter, this results in a 11.5% drop after +14.0% in Q4 2009: car purchases are back to the level reached during fall 2009.

Household durables purchases, and in particular electronics, were also dynamic in March (+0.9% after –0.5% in February). These purchases are also dynamic over the quarter (+1.1% after +2.6% in Q4 2009).

In March, expenditures in textile markedly increased by 3.5%. This progression follows a drop in February (-5.6%) which was partly accounted for by a change in sales calendar. Over the quarter, consumption in textile slightly decreases: –0.3% after +2.6% in Q4 2009.

Expenditures in other manufactured goods were slightly increasing in March: +0.4% after –0.1% in February. Among these products, purchases in glasses, prosthetics, prosthodontics and books are the most dynamic.

Over the quarter, purchases in other manufactured goods slightly decreases (-0.1%, after +0.3%).

February growth of consumption in manufactured goods is now estimated at -1.4% (-1.2% initially announced). The variation of consumption in durables is scaled down by 0.1 point: -0.1 point for both car purchases and - household durables. Textile expenditures are downgraded by 0.2 point. Expenditures in other manufactured goods are downgraded by 0.3 point.

These revisions are mainly due to the update of seasonal and working day adjustment. To a lesser extent, they are explained by new informations on other manufactured goods.