United Kingdom: Consumer sentiment improves in September but remains pessimistic amid Brexit uncertainty
The GfK consumer confidence indicator moved up two points to register minus 12 in September, up from August’s minus 14 points. As a result, the index remained in negative territory, where it has been since April 2016, highlighting that consumers are broadly pessimistic.
All five measures that constitute the index increased in September, with consumer sentiment growing less pessimistic regarding personal finances and the general economic situation. Consumers were also more willing to make major purchases. However, despite the positive moves of all the sub-measures, Brexit uncertainty continues to suppress consumer sentiment.