Weaker conditions on the High Street are likely to continue in the coming months.
According to the Martin Hamblin GfK consumer confidence barometer, carried out on behalf of the European Commission, people are aiming to stem spending in the next year.
Of those questioned, 34 per cent believed they would be splashing out on fewer major purchases compared to the past year.
The measure, gauging spending intentions, fell five points in August and now stands at minus eight, the lowest reading since January 1999.
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