Is buying sentiment already building in advance of next month’s Black Friday?
London, October 24th, 2025 – GfK’s long-running Consumer Confidence Index increased by two points to -17 in October. Four measures were up and one was down in comparison to last month’s announcement. These are the current findings of the GfK Consumer Confidence Barometer (CCB) powered by NIM. The CCB has been published jointly by GfK and the Nuremberg Institute for Market Decisions (NIM), the founder of GfK, since October 2023.
Neil Bellamy, Consumer Insights Director at GfK, an NIQ Company, says: “Consumer confidence registered a marginal increase in October. Buying sentiment is up on last month, with a four-point rise in our Major Purchase Index, which tracks consumers’ intentions to buy big-ticket items such as electrical goods and furniture. This uptick is partly driven by major retailer sales events held earlier in the month. After several years of high inflation, savvy consumers have adapted their purchasing strategies to make the most of their money when discounts are most attractive. Where possible, many now delay major purchases until one of these sales events — and the biggest of all is Black Friday, on November 28. Both consumers and UK retailers will be watching closely to see whether the Chancellor’s Budget, to be announced just two days before Black Friday, boosts or dampens spending during that crucial weekend.”
GfK Consumer Confidence Barometer powered by NIM — UK Measures – October 2025
The Overall Index Score increased by two points to -17 in October. Four measures were up and one was down in comparison to last month’s announcement.
Personal Financial Situation
The index measuring changes in personal finances over the last year has increased by two points to -5, marking a five-point improvement from October 2024.
The forecast for personal finances over the next 12 months is down one point at +3; this is five points better than this time last year.
General Economic Situation
The measure for the general economic situation of the country during the last 12 months is up three points to -42; this is the same as in October 2024.
Expectations for the general economic situation over the next 12 months have increased two points to -30, marking a two-point decline from October 2024.
Major Purchase Index
The Major Purchase Index is up four points at -12, a nine-point improvement over this time last year.
Savings Index
The Savings Index has jumped seven points to +29 in October; this is two points better than this time last year.
About the survey
Press Contact
For further details or an interview, please contact Greenfields Communications:
- The data in the GfK Consumer Confidence Barometer (CCB), powered by NIM, is collected by GfK. The CCB has been published jointly by GfK and the Nuremberg Institute for Market Decisions (NIM), the founder of GfK, since October 2023.
- This month’s survey was conducted among a sample of 2,004 individuals aged 16+ in the UK.
- Quotas are imposed on age, sex, region, and social class to ensure the final sample is representative of the UK population.
- Interviewing was conducted between October 1st and October 14th 2025.
- The figures in the GfK CCB powered by NIM have an estimated margin of error of +/-2%.
- The Overall Index Score is calculated using underlying data that runs to two decimal points.
- Press release dates for 2025 are: November 21st; December 19th. The first three press release dates in 2026 are: January 23rd; February 27th; March 27th.
- Any published material must include a reference to the GfK Consumer Confidence Barometer, e.g. ‘Source: GfK Consumer Confidence Barometer powered by NIM’.
- This study has been running since 1974. Back data is available from 2006.
- The table below is an overview of the questions asked to obtain the individual index measures:
| Personal Financial Situation (Q1/Q2) | This index is based on the following questions to consumers: ‘How has the financial situation of your household changed over the last 12 months?’ ‘How do you expect the financial position of your household to change over the next 12 months?’ (a lot better – a little better – stay(ed) the same – a little worse – a lot worse) |
| General Economic Situation (Q3/Q4) | This index is based on the following questions to consumers: ‘How do you think the general economic situation in this country has changed over the last 12 months?’ ‘How do you expect the general economic situation in this country to develop over the next 12 months?’ (a lot better – a little better – stay(ed) the same – a little worse – a lot worse) |
| Major Purchase Index (Q8) | This index is based on the following question to consumers: ‘In view of the general economic situation, do you think now is the right time for people to make major purchases such as furniture or electrical goods?’ (right time – neither right nor wrong time – wrong time) |
| Savings Index (Q10) | This index is based on the following question to consumers: ‘In view of the general economic situation do you think now is?’ (a very good time to save – a fairly good time to save – not a good time to save – a very bad time to save) (Commented on but not included in the Index Score) |
About the GfK Consumer Confidence Barometer powered by NIM
There is no other consumer research project with the longevity, rigor, and reliability of GfK’s Consumer Confidence Barometer (CCB). Each month since January 1974, it has provided a snapshot of how UK consumers feel about the crucial economic topics today and their outlook for the next 12 months. It has provided insight into the UK’s thinking through boom and bust, the Brexit vote, and most recently the coronavirus pandemic. The CCB data collected by GfK has been published jointly with the Nuremberg Institute for Market Decisions (NIM) since October 2023. NIM is the founder of GfK.
About NIQ
NielsenIQ (NIQ) is a leading consumer intelligence company, delivering the most complete understanding of consumer buying behavior and revealing new pathways to growth. NIQ combined with GfK in 2023, bringing together two industry leaders with unparalleled global reach. Our global reach spans over 90 countries, covering approximately 85% of the world’s population and more than $7.2 trillion in global consumer spend. With a holistic retail read and the most comprehensive consumer insights—delivered with advanced analytics through state-of-the-art platforms—NIQ delivers the Full View™.
For more information, please visit www.niq.com
About GfK – a NielsenIQ company
For over 90 years, we have earned the trust of our clients around the world by solving critical questions in their decision-making process. We fuel their growth by providing a complete understanding of their consumers’ buying behavior, and the dynamics impacting their markets, brands and media trends. In 2023, GfK combined with NIQ, bringing together two industry leaders with unparalleled global reach. With a holistic retail read and the most comprehensive consumer insights – delivered with advanced analytics through state-of-the-art platforms – GfK drives “Growth from Knowledge”. For more information, visit nielseniq.com
About NIM
The Nuremberg Institute for Market Decisions (NIM) is a non-profit research institute at the interface of academia and practice. NIM examines how consumer decisions change due to new technology, societal trends or the application of behavioral science, and what the resulting micro- and macroeconomic impacts are for the market and society as a whole. A better understanding of consumer decisions and their impacts helps society, businesses, politics, and consumers make better decisions with regard to “prosperity for all” in the sense of the social-ecological market system. The Nuremberg Institute for Market Decisions is the founder of GfK. For more information, visit www.nim.org/en and LinkedIn.
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