According to the report from GfK Group, consumer sentiment in November was significantly dampened by the partial lockdown. As was already the case in the previous month, both economic and income expectations as well as propensity to buy have declined. As a result, GfK has forecast a figure of -6.7 for December 2020, 3.5 points down from October this year (revised to -3.2 points). 

A rapid increase in infection rates has prompted a second lockdown by the German government, albeit with less stringent restrictions than faced during the lockdown earlier this year. 

"Though stores will remain open, the renewed shutdown of the hotel, restaurant and events industry – as well as the already struggling tourism industry – has had a serious impact on the consumer climate," explains Rolf Bürkl, consumer expert at GfK. "As a result, any hope we still had in early summer of a rapid recovery is now lost. Growing uncertainty has once again led to an increase in propensity to save, another factor which has contributed to the decline in the consumer climate."