A barometer is a selective compilation of economic and market data designed to represent larger trends. Common barometers include consumer spending, housing starts, interest rates, and prominent stock market indices like the Dow Jones Industrial Average and Standard & Poor's 500 Stock Index.
Brand share refers to the proportion of total sales in a market that is made up of a specific brand’s sales, expressed in percentage terms. It is also referred to as market share or share of market.
A leading indicator of consumer spending that gauges public confidence about the health of the U.S. economy through a survey of opinions on various economic factors.
Consumption represents the total spending by individuals or a nation on goods and services during a specific time period. This macroeconomic concept reflects the usage of resources, and although many durables like clothing, appliances, and automobiles are consumed over a longer period, their expense is accounted for within the consumption cycle.
Dissaving, or negative saving, occurs when consumer spending exceeds disposable income, often financed through accumulated savings or loans.
Macroeconomic equilibrium is the point at which total aggregate income, or Gross Domestic Product (GDP), is produced when expected demand and supply are equated. This level of income consists of the planned spending of consumers, businesses, and government.
The proportion of additional income that a consumer or economy will consume rather than save, expressed as a decimal or fraction.
A mature economy refers to the economy of a nation whose population has stabilized or is declining and whose economic growth is no longer robust.
A peak represents the highest point of the business cycle in a particular phase of economic activity, typically characterized by maximum output, employment, and consumer spending.
Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE), provided by the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA), measure the goods and services purchased by households and nonprofit institutions serving households (NPISHs) residing in the United States.
An index reflecting the prices of goods and services in retail shops purchased by average households, calculated relative to a base year. The RPI is a key economic indicator published monthly by the Office for National Statistics.
The Retail Price Index (RPI) is a measure of inflation published monthly by the UK government. It indicates the rate of price change for a fixed basket of goods and services, which reflects the spending habits of households.
Monthly data that track U.S. sales, changes from previous periods, and areas where sales rose or fell. This metric measures personal consumption across retail industries, excluding autos, and tracks consumer spending trends.
The wealth effect refers to the phenomenon in which an increase in personal wealth—whether actual or perceived—leads to an increase in consumer spending, impacting overall economic activity.
