Arlington, Va. – Consumer confidence in the overall
economy remained level in December, although confidence in consumer electronics
declined from last month’s record high, according to figures released today by
the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA)and CNET (
).
Nevertheless, consumer confidence in technology products stands
at the second-highest level of the year, CEA said.
The CEA-CNET Index of Consumer Expectations (ICE) reached 165.2
in December, unchanged from November. The ICE, which measures consumer expectations
about the broader economy, is down 2.7 points from this time last year.
“Consumers remain concerned about the overall health of the
economy and are keeping a close eye on spending,” said Anne Claudio, research
VP at CBS Interactive. “Instability in market forces continues to drive
consumers’ worries about their own personal financial stability and will impact
consumer spending now and potentially into 2010.”
Consumer confidence in technology and CE dropped nearly seven
points this month to 86.8. However, the CEA-CNET Index of Consumer Technology
Expectations (ICTE), which measures consumer confidence in technology and
consumer electronics, is also up 8.5 points from this time last year.
“Many consumers purchased their electronics on Black Friday when
manufacturers and retail stores offered deep discounts,” Claudio said.
“Consumer electronics remain a must-have gift this holiday and a bright spot in
the overall economy.”
The CEA-CNET Indices are comprised of the ICE and ICTE, both of
which are updated on a monthly basis through consumer surveys. To find current
and past indexes, charts, methodology and future release dates, visit
.
