Deloitte’s latest quarterly consumer confidence report is out and it shows that sentiment among Britons remains muted with an almost-flat reading for the second consecutive quarter.

Overall consumer confidence rose a marginal 0.3 percentage points for Q1 2025 as a seasonal uplift to general health and wellbeing sentiment was offset by a drop in consumer confidence towards people’s personal finances.

In fact, 50% of consumers said that they had less money to spend this quarter compared with the previous three months and inflation is still weighing on sentiment as consumers’ net spending on essentials rose in Q1 to its highest level since 2011. Sentiment towards the state of the UK economy also fell to its lowest level in over a year.

Deloitte’s Consumer Tracker is based on responses from 3,200 UK consumers aged 18+ between 14 and 17 March, and the flat reading came after a two-year period of improvement.

Importantly, it showed that consumers have cut back on luxuries. Some 77% of consumers agreed they spent more in the last three months because of rising prices, when compared with the previous three months but 47% said they were only spending on essentials in the latest period.

Meanwhile, more than half (58%) of consumers said that they have been generally more frugal with their overall spending compared with the previous quarter. Equally, more than half (54%) said they had consciously cut down on luxuries and treats in the same period. That said, probably due both to inflation and to some consumers not cutting back, overall discretionary spending is higher than a year ago across all categories.

Celine Fenech, consumer insight lead at Deloitte, said: “The consumer recovery appears to have stalled despite continued strong wage growth, with uncertainty around the economy and other factors such as geopolitical tensions playing on the minds of consumers. As inflation persists, particularly on food and utilities, consumers are being more tactical in the way they spend, with a focus on essentials and looking for discounts and promotions when making purchases.

“Consumers remain nervous about how to manage the cost of living and therefore spending is likely to remain subdued and targeted. There will however still be parts of the consumer economy that perform better than others, and the arrival of better weather and seasonal events may prop up confidence and attract increased spending in the coming months.”

Next-owned UK fashion/lifestyle brand FatFace has launched a new collection with Beeble, the British eco business that specialising in “artisanal honey spirits”. 

Inspired by bees and the natural world, the new collection features crochet waistcoats, intricate stitch patterns and hand-painted prints, referencing a hive’s honeycomb structure and the wildlife supporting the bees’ pollination.

It also expands the brand’s commitment to creating partnerships with eco bodies that already include the National Forest and Marine Conservation Society. 

It comes as FatFace continues to expand its product offering both in-store and online across womenswear, menswear and accessories, with product director Kate Brown at FatFace saying: “As a B Corp business, we’re passionate about working with partners from the B Corp community.

“Beeble [has] a shared passion for innovation and unique, brilliant products, so when we visited their bee hives, we knew that we had to collaborate with them. The new collection encapsulates our aligned values of quality and craftmanship.”
 
The Beeble team added: “This collection brings together our passion for bees and FatFace’s signature style, creating something truly special for those who appreciate quality craft, character, and conscious choices. Together, we’re proving that great taste and great design can be as kind to the planet as they are to the people who enjoy them”.
 
The new range will be available in 40 stores as well as on the FatFace website.

Successful ventures deserve repeat performances, so no surprises that Superdrug is scheduling its fourth “sell-out” ‘Superdrug Presents’ event at London’s Truman Brewery in Shoreditch from 22-25 August.

The major UK health & beauty retailer is promising a bigger and better for the upcoming show that it says sold out in just 20 minutes when tickets, starting from £29.99, went on sale last week, “proving that it remains one of the most sought-after customer events in the beauty industry calendar”.

The event, running over the August bank holiday weekend, will see the retailer bring together 60 of its suppliers, including TRESemmé, Simple and NYX, and a virtually guaranteed 5,000 consumers over the four-day experience. 

The 2025 event is themed around “self-expression and making your own mark” and aims to “encourage customers to embrace beauty in a way that’s fun and unique to them”.

Fans will be able to ‘Bounce into Beauty’ within a variety of specialist immersive zones, including The Playground and The Beauty Mart, and ‘Make their Mark’ in a dedicated Masterclass area.

They’ll also get the chance to mingle with “celebrities and beauty gurus”, indulge in complimentary treatments at Superdrug’s Beauty Studio, and leave the event with a goodie bag worth £250.