CONSUMER sentiment dropped unexpectedly in February from a four-year high in January and eroded retailers hopes of a spending boom until SSIAs (Special Savings Investment Accounts) begin to mature next year.

CONSUMER sentiment jumped in December, buoyed by a positive response to Brian Cowen's first Budget.

CONSUMER sentiment has hit a three-year high on the back of improved job prospects and the potential for income tax cuts in December's Budget.

CONSUMER sentiment dipped for the first time in almost a year as the European and local election encouraged a "feelbad factor", the latest IIB Bank/ESRI Consumer Sentiment Index indicates.

IRISH consumer spending and sentiment is weakening, according to data from the Central Statistics Office and the IIB Bank/ESRI Consumer Sentiment Index, published yesterday.

THE swift end to the Anglo-American war on Iraq has boosted Irish consumer confidence which could herald a hike in consumer spending later in the year.

CONSUMER confidence in Ireland bucked the European trend showing a slight rise in March compared to a decrease in the rest of the eurozone, two separate surveys published yesterday reveal.

CONSUMER spending will become sluggish in the coming months, the IIB Bank/ESRI Consumer Sentiment Index for February indicates.

THE Consumer Sentiment Index has undergone a massive setback, falling dramatically in the last 12 months.

RETAIL sales rose by 4.1% in October year on year, figures released yesterday by the Central Statistic Office reveal.

CONSUMER sentiment fell in August for the third month in a row raising fears about a further loss of momentum in the Irish economy.