Last month, consumer confidence weakened to a six-year low, with the index dropping for the fourth-straight month to 62.58, according to statistics released on Dec. 28 by National Central University's Research Center for Taiwan Economic Development.
prices
Consumer prices climbed 3.34 percent last month from a year earlier, down from November's 4.8 percent rise and the 5.3 percent increase in October, the government's statistics bureau said last Monday.
Lee said the retailer had noticed a decline in shoppers last year. She said consumer confidence would probably remain weak this year.
"Last year, there was a trend toward rational consumption, with consumers shopping at specific times, such as Mother's Day and during our annual sales," Lee said.
However, she said that the 40 to 49 consumer age group had increased noticeably last year as this group appeared to be less affected by economic woes as a result of their stable incomes.
Purchases by consumers aged between 20 and 29, meanwhile, showed that this group had finally recovered from the credit problem which beset the market for two years, Lee said.
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