UK shopper confidence stays close to 50-year-low

UK shopper confidence hovered round a 50-year low final month as Britons struggled in opposition to a backdrop of hovering inflation, political turmoil and excessive borrowing prices, in line with new knowledge.

The patron confidence index, a intently watched measure of how folks view their private funds and wider financial prospects, edged up solely two factors to minus 47 in October, from the minus 49 the earlier month.

The October studying was solely marginally higher than September, which was the bottom since information started in 1974.

Joe Staton, consumer technique director at GfK, stated not solely have been households fearful concerning the prospect of rising meals, vitality and presumably mortgage prices, but additionally the “chance of tax rises and even austerity measures”.

He added that for customers: “This net of uncertainty and turmoil quantities to a ‘new irregular’.”

The patron confidence figures lined the interval between October 3 and October 13, when turmoil within the monetary markets pushed up mortgage quotes and coverage rate of interest expectations on the again of the “mini” Finances.

The evaluation was achieved earlier than Jeremy Hunt changed Kwasi Kwarteng as chancellor, reversing most of his tax-cutting proposals whereas warning of “eye-watering” public spending cuts, and earlier than Liz Truss stood down as prime minister.

The sub-index for spending intentions for large gadgets, equivalent to properties or vehicles, fell 3 proportion factors to its lowest degree for the reason that early months of the coronavirus pandemic, GfK reported.

Staton stated the lack of shopper confidence was “particularly worrying” forward of the Christmas season, which many companies depend on to strengthen their steadiness sheets.

On Wednesday, official statistics confirmed that Britain’s meals inflation rose to just about 15 per cent in September, the very best since information started in 1989.

In the meantime, UK wages should not maintaining with inflation and recorded one of many largest falls in actual phrases since information started in 2001.

On Friday, knowledge printed by shopper affiliation Which? confirmed the spending confidence index was very low in October, however largely unchanged from the earlier month.

Based on the Which? knowledge, 8 per cent of households stated they’ve missed a housing, invoice, mortgage or bank card cost within the final month, a rise on current months.

Practically two in three households reported having made not less than one adjustment to cowl important spending, together with reducing again on meals, dipping into financial savings, promoting possessions or borrowing, in line with the analysis.

Official knowledge confirmed that output in consumer-facing industries, equivalent to cinema, bars and eating places, fell sharply in August, to eight.9 per cent beneath their pre-pandemic degree.

Linda Ellett, head of shopper markets, retail and leisure, at KPMG, stated that mortgage charges and rents, and vitality worth uncertainty after the winter are “vital price considerations that can play on the minds of many customers over the approaching months”.