Google Search Patterns

Internet searches for luxury brands on Google have soared since January. Is the worst of the recession over?

Searches for restaurants are up by 16%, limousine hire 50% and searches for Gucci 8%. The figures have been compiled using Google’s Insight for Search software, which counts the number of searches for particular words.

The analysis also shows a decline in the grim words associated with darker economic times e.g. second income, marriage guidance and swap shops. Poundland has seen a 20% drop in searches for its name.

‘Payment holidays’ from mortgages and other debts is also down as a search by 60% since the start of the year.

These changes in the pattern of searches may be a reflection of changing consumer confidence. The Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR) are encouraged by the pattern they also highlight that many of the searches that have increased involve long term financial commitments e.g. luxury cars bought on credit.

The research also highlights the areas with the greatest optimism, mainly in the south east e.g. Watford, Herfordshire, east London.

Low budget searches were dominated by Glasgow residents while Aldi and Lidl (low cost supermarkets) were of most interest to internet shoppers in Cardiff, Gloucester and Liverpool.

The CEBR still urges caution and it expects the UK economy to contract by up to 0.9% in the 2nd and 3rd quarter of this year. Likewise searches for redundancy insurance are up by 250%.
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