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Upturn in consumer confidence is seasonal, says expert
An expert has played down the upturn in consumer confidence saying "people are in a spring frame of mind".
Figures from Nationwide showed an increase in its confidence barometer by two points to 53 last month, with two other indices also showing a positive outlook.
Despite the good news, Richard Dodd, head of media and campaigns at the British Retail Consortium, said it "isn't the basis of a sustained recovery".
Mr Dodd said that people are going out and buying the latest spring fashions but he believes that the figures will prove to be a "seasonal blip, rather than signifying any fundamental change in customers' attitudes".
Nationwide's research showed that over a quarter of those questioned now believe that the economic situation will be better in six months' time.
However, 77 per cent of consumers felt that the current economic situation was bad, but this is an improvement on last month's statistics which showed 80 per cent held that opinion.
Figures from the British Retail Consortium and KPMG showed that UK retail sales rose 4.6 per cent on a like-for-like basis compared to April last year, when sales were weak in the cold wet weather.