Richard Curtin Consumer Quotations

Restoring consumer confidence becomes more than just a matter of economic stimulus. A renewal in confidence may also require the restoration of a sense of personal safety among large parts of the population.

The sharp and sudden swing in consumer expectations was due to mounting fears among consumers that weak job growth and global job outsourcing may pose a threat to their future living standards.

Although higher income and employment levels have offset the impact of rising gas prices on consumer confidence, there is a considerable degree of dread about future prospects among middle- and lower-income households.

Consumer spending will weaken in the months ahead.

The last time consumer confidence declined a comparable extent was prior to the recessions in 1990 and 1980.

The loss in people's sense of personal security was linked to the decline in consumer confidence. Unlike other assessments of economic risks, these fears represent a significant threat to the usual functioning of the economy.