Dutch consumers remain somber about the economy and their own spending power, according to new figures from the national statistics office CBS.

The latest consumer confidence index remains on minus 32, the same as in July, the CBS said. People are still unwilling to spend money and this is having a knock-on effect on the retail sector.
Consumer confidence fell to a record low of minus 40 in June and has not been positive since September 2007.
The CBS bases its statistics on telephone interviews with around 1,000 households. People are questioned about their own finances and their thoughts on the wider economy.
Companies, however, have increased their investments, the CBS said. Corporate investment rose 3% in June following a decline of 6% in May. However, investments are still 18% below 2008’s level, when the financial crisis began to bite.
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