In August 2018, household expenditure on goods increased by 0.8% in volume, after a stability (+0.0%) in July. This growth was driven by the jump of manufactured good consumption (+2.5% after +0.0%), in spite of the decline in food consumption (-0.6%) and energy spending (-0.5%).

Consumption of durables increased strongly in August (+4.1%), in particular in transport equipment (+6.9%). Indeed, new car sales reached an exceptionnally high level, in anticipation of the tightening of the new car approval tests in Europe on September 1st. Household durables spending rebounded (+0.4% after -0.7%), driven by furniture purchases, and despite the return to normal of television set purchases.