UK still spending in spite of recession

More than half feel financially the same or better

off than they did 12 months ago

London, April 2009 - The economic gloom appears to have had little impact on consumer spending habits, according to a new survey from price comparison site, Kelkoo. The survey shows that 52% feel financially the same or better off than they did 12 months ago. The UK's steadfast shoppers have also made very few changes when it comes to their purchasing habits, with 36% not making any alterations to what they buy.

The poll of 2,302 people also showed that consumers are unwilling to let go of their personal treats, with 58% of those questioned admitting to buying themselves 1-3 luxury items each month. The most popular items for splurging proved to be clothes or toiletries. Similarly, when it came to spending their annual bonuses, consumers were determined to indulge themselves and take a break, with the same number of people who used their bonus for a holiday in 2008 indicating that they would ignore the recession and do the same again in 2009.

Interestingly, the survey did find that although consumers were averse to giving up their luxury items, 60% of those questioned acknowledged that since the recession began, they had been giving their purchases a lot more consideration, and want to get the best value for their money.

Bruce Fair, Managing Director of Kelkoo UK, said of the results, "The fact that consumers aren't prepared to give up luxury items shows that they are unwilling to let the recession get them down. It's only human nature to want to treat yourself every now and then but rather than making extravagant purchases, people are tending to buy smaller items instead - the survey showed us that the majority of people weren't looking at spending more than £75 on a luxury item."

"The fact that 60% are giving more consideration to their purchases shows that although people are indulging in little treats, they are also conscious of money. Rather than restricting themselves from buying their favourite goods, people are instead comparing the prices offered by different retailers in order to make sure that they're not wasting money when they could have bought a product for cheaper elsewhere. Many online retailers offer products for a good deal less than their RRP prices, so it's definitely worth shopping around."