NI's Consumer Eye study claims that, between July and September, consumer confidence rose 10 points to -22, up from -32 in June and -41 last December.
Consumer outlook for the next three months has also improved, with only 23% of respondents believing things will get worse, compared to 27% last quarter.
The biggest rises in confidence have come in terms of house prices. The study suggests that 16% of consumers believe house values will improve in the next quarter, compared to 3% in December 2008.
One of the biggest concerns, however, is the cost of fuel.
The survey also found that 36% of consumers have already started planning for Christmas, with almost half of women and over half of homemakers already preparing for the festive season. Fifty-one percent of those surveyed intend to spend the same amount on Christmas this year.
Consumer Eye is a quarterly survey of more than 3,000 newspaper readers, which provides insight into consumer confidence, views on the economic outlook and purchase intentions. It is aimed at providing News International and its advertisers with insights to develop their marketing strategies.
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