LONDON (Reuters) – Confidence among Britain’s consumers inched up to its highest in almost three years this month, but the change in government and the exploits of the England men’s soccer team did not give a significant boost, a survey showed on Friday.
The GfK consumer confidence survey, the longest-running of its kind in Britain, rose to -13 in July, its highest level since September 2021 but only just above June’s reading of -14.
The reading was a bit below a median forecast of -12 in a Reuters poll of economists.
Joe Staton, GfK’s client strategy director, said a 7-point improvement in a subindex measuring consumers’ willingness to make major purchases might be good news for retailers along with a 2-point improvement in a gauge of personal finances.
But feelings about the UK economy were unchanged and there was no clear impact on the national mood from the Labour Party’s landslide election win nor the England team winning a semi-final at the Euro 2024 tournament, both of which fell in the June 28 to July 12 survey period.
“So, July’s consumer confidence poll suggests a note of caution as people wait to see exactly how the UK’s new government will affect the wider economy and their personal finances,” Staton said.
Britain’s new Prime Minister Keir Starmer has promised to speed up the country’s economy. England’s soccer team lost the Euro 2024 final to Spain.
(Reporting by William Schomberg; editing by David Milliken)
