Fieldwork conducted on 6 - 9 October
2026
According to BRC-Opinium data, consumer expectations
over the next three months of:
-
The state of the economy worsened to -40 in
October, down from -34 in September.
-
Their personal financial situation worsened to
-18 in October, down from -15 in September.
-
Their personal spending on retail rose to +15
in October, up from +5 in September.
-
Their personal spending overall rose to +23 in
October, up from +15 in September.
-
Their personal saving fell to -9 in October,
down from -7 in September.
Helen Dickinson, Chief Executive of the British Retail
Consortium, said:
Consumer confidence in the economy dropped for the third
consecutive month against a backdrop of rising inflation and
ongoing geopolitical tensions. Meanwhile, sentiment about
personal finances fell to the second-lowest level on record, as
confidence among Gen X and Boomers tumbled after the
announcements around pensions. With the festive period now
falling within the three-month window, there were significant
rises in spending expectations, though concerns around inflation
may also be contributing to this.
Households everywhere will be looking to the Chancellor to tackle
the cost of living challenge at next week's Budget. Retailers
have been doing everything they can to limit price rises, but
with the industry now paying 20% more in taxes than two years
ago, there is no more room for manoeuvre. Government must act on
the tsunami of costs that have hit the industry, from employer
National Insurance Contributions to business rates. A little
breathing room for retailers at the Budget can mean a lot of
breathing room for households.
Consumer expectations for the state of the economy
over the next three months:
Consumer expectations for their personal financial
situation over the next three months:
Consumer expectations of spending over the next three
months by category:
Consumer NET expectations of spending over the next
three months by category:
-ENDS-
Data collection began in March 2024 and all records are since
then.
The BRC sent this release to our "Monitors" and "General
Retail" media list. To check/update what media lists you are on,
please contact us below.
Methodology:
Fieldwork conducted by Opinium for the BRC. Sample included 2,000
UK adults and results have been weighted and assigned a net
score. The better/worse figures in the graphs are rounded, while
net scores are calculated from precise figures. Questions were:
- Over the next 3 months, do you expect your personal finances
to get better or worse?
- Over the next 3 months, do you expect the state of the UK
economy to get better or worse?
- What do you plan to do in relation to your spending over the
next 3 months?
- Reflecting on your retail spend across different categories,
overall do you expect to spend more or less on retail items over
the next 3 months?
- What are your expectations for saving over the next 3 months?
- What are your expectations for spending on the following
retail categories over the next three months compared to the
previous 3 months?
