UK consumer spending growth in 2019 to be slowest in six years

Is this actually a bad thing? Do we need consumers spending more and more money on things they don't need (and often don't even want, they just think they want it)?

As somebody who lives in the UK, in most cases (that is - peoples I know) it is small lifestyle changes that have impacted their spending habits more than the ability to spend spend spend. Be that having a phone that works for them for a few years that the need to upgrade every opportunity has become less important. Not wasting money on plastic bags, or filling up the fridge because they can. Giving up smoking for health reasons. Small things, but they all add up.

But in many countries some areas have seen changes. Not all driven by fiscal necessities.

Hard to imagine this is a surprise. Doubt/fear historically has negative impact on consumer spending.

That said, lack of population growth also keeps economic growth in check. If you consider immigration a form of population growth (hint: you should) then, again, given Brexit, lack of spending is no surprise.

The rate of growth is slowing? What derivative is that?

>> In the fall of 1972 President Nixon announced that the rate of increase of inflation was decreasing. This was the first time a sitting president used the third derivative to advance his case for reelection.

Making assumptions on the size of the economy based the low-end retailers revenue can be misleading. The people I know spend more and more on healthcare, education, buying services abroad.

A better way could be to check the volume of payment card spending.