Visa Reports UK Consumer Spending Slowdown in April

U.K. consumer-spending growth slowed in April and is forecast to remain weak in the coming months, according to a report from Visa.

Its index showed spending rose an annual 0.5 percent in April, down from 1 percent in March and marking one of the slowest rates of growth in the past three years. Weaker household demand is also taking a toll on retailers. A separate report from the Institute for Chartered Accountants in England and Wales showed while there was a jump in business confidence this quarter, retailing was the laggard among nine sectors covered.

“The trend of relatively modest expenditure growth is likely to extend in to the coming months, as consumers are squeezed by both rising living costs and relatively lackluster wage growth,” said Annabel Fiddes, an economist at IHS Markit, which compiles the consumer index.

Bloomberg

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