Consumer sentiment takes a tumble

PRESSURE to pay off Christmas credit card bills led to a drop in consumer sentiment this month.

Latest figures show spending over Christmas was not as poor as had been feared as retailers offered a raft of discounts.

The overall KBC Bank Ireland/ESRI Consumer Sentiment Index fell to 44.2 in February, compared to 49.6 in January, and to an all time low of 39.6 in July last year.