UK consumers still reluctant to spend going into 2026, KPMG survey finds

Consumers are still coping with the high cost of food and energy after several years of soaring inflation. Photograph: Tolga Akmen/EPA

UK consumers are reluctant to spend going into 2026 despite feeling almost as secure about their personal finances as they did at the beginning of the year, according to research.

A study by the accountancy multinational KPMG found that concerns about the health of the UK economy were holding consumers back from spending, especially on eating out and big ticket items such as cars and furniture.