Finance
UK consumer spending and confidence is muted, says Currys boss
Published by Global Banking and Finance Review
Posted on December 18, 2025
1 min readLast updated: January 20, 2026
Global Banking and Finance Review
Company
Published by Global Banking and Finance Review
Posted on December 18, 2025
1 min readLast updated: January 20, 2026
UK consumer confidence and spending are low, with Currys CEO citing high taxes and a poor economic outlook. Currys plans for a subdued market in 2026.
LONDON, Dec 18 (Reuters) - British consumer confidence and spending is muted heading into Christmas and the government's budget last month did little to help, the boss of electricals retailer Currys said on Thursday.
"What we're concerned about is consumers' already high tax burden has increased further (in the budget) and that will weigh down on already muted consumer confidence and spending in the UK," CEO Alex Baldock told reporters after Currys reported first half results.
He said Currys was planning for little change to the subdued consumer environment in 2026.
"We're not counting on any improvement in the UK consumer outlook, confidence or spending, looking forward," he said.
But he said he was confident Currys could still grow profit despite the tough macro backdrop.
(Reporting by James Davey; Editing by Kate Holton)
Consumer confidence is a measure of how optimistic or pessimistic consumers are regarding their expected financial situation and the overall economic environment. It influences their spending and saving behaviors.
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