Price rises continue to play on shoppers’ minds, as consumer confidence continues to remain fragile amid inflation fears, the latest data from the British Retail Consortium (BRC) reveals.

While its latest BRC-Opinium poll pointed to an improving picture across spending and the overall economic outlook in May, shoppers remain fearful of the impact of the conflict in the Middle East on future price rises.

Consumer sentiment for the next three months improved by 5 index points in May, up from -53 in April, while shoppers’ assessments of their personal financial situation also improved to -16, up from -21 in April.

Retail spending expectations among customers also rose to +7, up by 2 index points on the month prior, while overall spending expectations remained on a par with April levels (+15).

“Consumer confidence, while firmly negative, saw a slight lift in May following signs of de-escalation in the Middle East. But the outlook remains fragile: inflation is set to rise, and more than four in five people expect food prices to climb,” commented Helen Dickinson, Chief Executive of the British Retail Consortium.

Over eight in ten (82%) consumers are concerned that conflict in the Middle East could increase the price of food, while a further 83% fear the impact of the tensions on energy bills, rising +2 percentage points month-on-month.