Google has returned to the searching question of what Britons want it for to find that the worst of the recession may be over – in consumers’ minds at least.
The company said that, in spite of the UK’s gloomy economic forecasts, searches it ran for designer names, foreign holidays and luxury items have soared since January.
Its Insights for Search software also shows more Britons are enquiring about treating themselves, with ‘champagne’ up 6 per cent and ‘pampering spas’ up 8 per cent.
But it is perhaps the drop off in some, non-seasonal keyword searches that provides more of a foundation to argue that the UK’s economic recovery is underway.
Searches via Google for “payment holidays” – typically for mortgages – are down 60 per cent since January, show the data collated from April, and reported yesterday.
There was also a dip in the number of Google users typing in ‘pawn and ‘second income’ of 10 per cent and 30 per cent, respectively, The Sunday Times reported.
This suggested easing in the number of cash-strapped Britons appears to have ended the honeymoon with lower-cost retailers, as searches fell for ‘Lidl’ and its rivals.
However the findings do not show whether or not consumers spent more or less last month on a product, service type or brand than they did four months ago.
Nevertheless, Google users located in the southeast of the country are the most bullish, in contrast to those in Glasgow who searched the most for lower-value items.
May 18, 2009
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