PARIS, Sept 23 - Following are economists' reactions to data issued on Tuesday by national statistics office INSEE showing consumer spending rose 1.1 percent in July and fell 2.7 percent in August.
NICOLAS CLAQUIN, CCF, ECONOMIST
"These figures really are the result of the heatwave in the country. There is a little technical fall after the July sales, but the amplitude of the fall in August is quite surprising. The job market and consumer confidence are badly orientated so this bad performance confirms our recession scenario for the third quarter with a negative GDP. Although we will probably see a technical rebound in September, the overall outlook is not bright at all."
JEAN-LOUIS MOURIER, ECONOMIST, AUREL LEVEN
"The August numbers were a surprise on the downside. Consumption has been a lot weaker than in previous years. The decrease in the textiles segment might have been influenced by the heatwave this summer. People went to the shops less often, but rather stayed at home. Overall, the numbers indicate that consumption remains very weak on France, which indicates that GDP in the third quarter will also be weak."//