In May 2017, household expenditure on goods increased by 1.0% in volume*, after +0.4% in April. Car and clothing purchases bounced back sharply. In contrast, spending on energy and food products slowed down.

Purchases of engineered goods picked up (+1.5% after −1.1%), driven by spending on durables (+1.0% after −0.9%) and on clothing.

In May, car purchases bounced back (+2.0% after −1.0%), notably new and used vehicules, as well as recreational vehicules (mortorhomes). Spending on household durables other than cars was stable after a decline of 0.9% in April: a decrease in purchases of consumer electronics was offset by a rise in communication equipment (notably smartphones). Furthermore, purchases of cameras dropped, as in April.