More guilt attached to spending

The middle-class is feeling increasingly guilty about spending on non-essentials, a shift most marked in Western nations, where TGI notes the emergence of a bargain-hunter mentality in the UK and US.

More guilt attached to spending

Josie FarnsworthTGI Global

There are signs that the middle class is feeling guilty about spending on non-essentials. This shift in attitudes has been most stark among middle-class consumers in Western nations, prompting us to question whether this is a prolonged shift in mindset and whether the opposite is true in markets where economic growth has remained robust.  

How confident are the middle-class in their spending?

In Figure 1, each market is examined relative to its consumers' level of agreement with the attitude statement: "I tend to spend without thinking"....

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