Four charts that show how US consumer demand is taking off
US consumer demand is its strongest since spring 2010, according to data published by the Institute for Business Cycle Analyses. The data has seen continual improvement to a positive trend that developed since May to June 2013.
Despite a four year period of weakness, the monthly and three-month moving average index for food and other grocery items are at or above the levels of early 2008.
The index for clothing and footwear rose from -13.7 to August in -11.4 in September. Compare that to the -20.8 figure the index stood at in September last year.
Durable goods are one area that haven't seen a huge deal of improvement last year, but there's still good news in the more recent data. The three month average is at 62.2 in September, from 59.4 in August.
