Consumer confidence hits seven-year low

LESS than one in five Irish shoppers believe they will be better off this year — with three out of four afraid that the numbers on the dole will rise.

Irish consumer sentiment continued a four-month-long slide in September as the global downturn hit home, the IIB Bank-ESRI poll showed yesterday.

The consumer sentiment index slipped to 70.3 in September from 73.3 in August, extending a decline which began in June.