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UK shopper confidence reached a two-year excessive in January, in keeping with analysis firm GfK, within the newest optimistic signal for the economic system.
The shopper confidence index, which measures folks’s views of their funds in addition to their view on broader financial prospects, rose three factors month on month to minus 19, the best degree since January 2022.
This was the third consecutive month-on-month enhance and adopted the discharge of January’s buying supervisor index final week, which confirmed financial exercise rising on the quickest tempo in seven months.
Economists stated the findings urged that January’s lower in nationwide insurance coverage, falling mortgage charges and rising actual wages had been serving to shopper sentiment regardless of the price of dwelling disaster nonetheless hurting family budgets.
![Line chart of GfK index showing UK consumer confidence rose for the third consecutive month in January](https://www.ft.com/__origami/service/image/v2/images/raw/https%3A%2F%2Fd6c748xw2pzm8.cloudfront.net%2Fprod%2Fbc335e50-bb8d-11ee-aaf5-f9af85a4c8e0-standard.png?source=next-article&fit=scale-down&quality=highest&width=700&dpr=1)
“What really stands out is consumer expectations of personal finance for the next 12 months, which is positive for the first time in two years,” stated Joe Staton, consumer technique director at GfK. “That shows that things are heading in the right direction and that people are more likely to spend.”
The rise in shopper confidence within the UK compares with a larger-than-expected drop within the eurozone, in keeping with knowledge launched earlier within the week.
But an enchancment in shopper sentiment doesn’t all the time feed via to the economic system. December retail gross sales within the UK fell at a surprisingly quick price, regardless of GfK’s confidence index ticking upwards.
“Economic momentum in the UK is clearly improving,” stated Tomasz Wieladek, an economist at T Rowe Price. “However, the headwinds to consumer confidence could become more powerful in the future, especially if supply chain restrictions become greater and inflation stickier.”
![Line chart of GfK 12-year outlook on personal finances sub-index showing British households' outlook on personal finances turned positive for first time in two years](https://www.ft.com/__origami/service/image/v2/images/raw/https%3A%2F%2Fd6c748xw2pzm8.cloudfront.net%2Fprod%2F0ee23870-bb92-11ee-9b6c-217fa816ed39-standard.png?source=next-article&fit=scale-down&quality=highest&width=700&dpr=1)
GfK’s shopper confidence index stays adverse, which suggests that almost all of respondents had been gloomy concerning the economic system, and remains to be under the long-term common of minus 17.
There was a slight, sudden uptick in inflation in December from 3.9 per cent to 4 per cent the earlier month. The impression on provide chains from the assaults on transport within the Red Sea has stoked fears of extra persistent value pressures.
The Bank of England is predicted to carry rates of interest at a 15-year excessive of 5.25 per cent at its subsequent rate-setting assembly on February 1, with traders betting the benchmark price will fall to 4.25 per cent by the tip of the 12 months with the primary lower in June. Expectations of decrease borrowing prices have helped a discount in fastened mortgage charges over the previous few months.