The Canadian economy showed signs of improvement in January, while the economies of Germany, Italy and Spain showed signs of weakening economies, according to the latest edition of Nielsen’s Economic Current, which consolidates key consumer data from the company’s global research resources.  The U.S. economy continued to be weak, but showed no signs of worsening.

Other key findings from the survey include:

• U.S. consumers reversed a six month trend of declining number of shopping trips and spending per trip.
• Consumers in the U.S. and Canada spent more per trip across fast moving consumer goods sold in food, drug, and mass merchandisers
• Western Europe also saw an increase in the number of shopping trips
• Store brands and value channels remain strong

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Download the latest Nielsen Economic Current