Consumer confidence ‘not in freefall’

CONSUMER confidence is “not in freefall” despite the gloomy conditions, with new figures showing a slight pick-up last month.

The KBC Ireland/ESRI consumer sentiment index increased slightly to 48.4 last month compared with 48.1 in October, when it fell sharply.

In November last year the figure was 53.6 but the latest figure is still well above the all-time low in July 2008 of 39.6.