Households shake off the winter blues… Winter typically sees a little bit of a dip in consumer confidence. But not this year. New Zealand households have shaken off their usual winter blues, with the Westpac McDermott Miller Consumer Confidence survey recording a 1.5 point rise in June. That took the index to 113.4 - its highest level since early 2015. And looking into the breakdown of this quarters survey, gains in confidence have been widespread, both geographically and by income levels. June’s rise in consumer sentiment reflects improved confidence in the economic outlook. Increasing numbers of households expect ... (full story)