They are beginning to make large purchases like cars and furnishings.
Buyers at auction houses like Christie's or Sotheby's are typically vetted financially before they can make large purchases.
Consumers seem to be less willing to make large purchases like a $1,500 flat-screen television, analysts said.
Mr. Allison, the IHS analyst, said the American operators AT&T and Verizon were seen as the most likely candidates to make large purchases in Europe.
Ford is selling fewer cars in Spain than it is in Turkey because Spanish consumers are fearful of the future and unwilling to make large purchases.
A separate Commerce Department report showed that businesses spent less on durable goods in January, a sign that companies were hesitant to make large purchases.
The beige book, a regular report based on an anecdotal survey of businesses in 12 major metropolitan districts, showed Americans were more reluctant to make large purchases last month.
Sensing the increasingly dire housing market, the Federal Reserve announced a pair of programs on Tuesday aimed at helping Americans obtain the money needed to make large purchases, like a home.
Yes, I understand that a number of people have been waiting for Black Friday's heavy discounts to make large purchases like a new washing machine or a new computer, but that doesn't hide the fact the event just seems to be imported Americanised consumerism in its most bare-naked glory.
These handy apps make it possible for them to make large purchases online, while Affirm, for instance, uses everything from social media signals to your zip code to assess your ability and willingness to repay what you owe on what its founder described as a digital charge card.
Meanwhile, Synchrony benefits by tapping into a source of consumer loans that's more tied to online shopping – which is increasingly where consumers make large purchases requiring credit.
