Fieldwork conducted between 7–10 April 2026 by the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and Opinium showed consumer confidence in the UK remained subdued in April, with households continuing to feel the strain of rising living costs and geopolitical uncertainty.
Expectations for the state of the economy held steady at -53 in April, matching March’s figure and marking the lowest level on record.
Sentiment around personal finances deteriorated further, falling to -21 from -17 in March, also the lowest reading recorded.
Despite this, expectations for retail spending edged up to +5 in April, compared with +2 the previous month. Overall spending expectations also rose slightly to +15, from +13 in March. However, anticipated savings remained unchanged at -8.
According to Helen Dickinson, chief executive of the BRC, global instability is continuing to weigh heavily on consumer sentiment.
“The Middle East conflict continues to stoke consumer anxiety around inflation and the cost of living. Amid a volatile geopolitical situation, households are expecting to see their pay packets squeezed by rising petrol, domestic energy, and food prices,” she said.
“Expected retail spending rose, but this was driven entirely by grocery spend, with most consumers expecting to rein in spending in other areas.
“The longer volatility drags on, the more uncertainty it creates in the economy. Businesses are battered by higher energy costs while also grappling with the growing burden of domestic policy pressures. From new packaging taxes to incoming employment and health regulations, the government has levers it can pull to limit the inflationary fallout.”
“Taking early, decisive action would help shield consumers from a spike in the cost of living they simply can’t afford.”
This marks a reversal from the 0.9% rise seen to February and represents the lowest annual rate since March 2021, a period that saw pandemic-related effects on pricing.
