As U.S. consumers prepare to hit the road for Labor Day weekend, nearly half (45 percent) of U.S. households are diligently seeking lower gas prices according to a recent Nielsen Company survey.

Amid seemingly contradictory economic datapoints, manufacturers and retailers will need to focus on the habits of the consumer for clarity and insights into the pace of recovery.

With American consumer confidence seemingly stuck in neutral, the back to school season can be an insightful view into the state of consumer spending, as well as a precursor to what retailers can expect for the upcoming holiday season.

Lower prices for food and other household items are great for consumers, but for retailers, they don’t always achieve the desired rise in sales as the competition is quick to follow.

While global consumer confidence continues the slow but steady climb upward from the lows experienced in the first quarter of 2009, consumer spending is following a similar trajectory.

Global consumer confidence edged up slightly as rising Asian markets were offset by Europe’s growing concerns of an escalating debt crisis according to the Nielsen Global Consumer Confidence Index.

From January 2009 to January 2010, more U.S. counties saw gains in household income and home values compared to the year before.

It has been just over a month since the peak of the May political unrest in Thailand, but most Thai consumers (7 out of 10) say their lives are already back to normal, or will return to normal within a month.

Continued unemployment means more sensitivity to price and promotion. As marketers plan for the future, understanding the nuances of price sensitivity and the consumer’s shifting value paradigm will be critical to success.

As financial institutions determine the impact on their bottom line with new overdraft regulations, they will also need to understand consumer’s awareness of their options as well as their willingness to opt-in.