Almost 80% of consumers in Ireland are concerned about everyday price rises, according to a new report from Deloitte.
That is 9% higher than the global average.
The survey also reveals that safety concerns among people in Ireland have increased significantly.
Deloitte’s State of the Consumer Tracker is a monthly survey which tracks Irish consumers’ attitudes towards personal wellbeing, financial concerns, travel and hospitality, transport and retail.
The most recent data was gathered between 25 and 28 November.
"As we reach the final weeks of 2021, confidence among consumers in Ireland has unsurprisingly been dented by the continued spread of Covid-19, as well as the emergence of a new variant and the resulting personal and economic uncertainty," said Daniel Murray, Partner and Head of Consumer at Deloitte Ireland.
"However, we have previously seen consumer confidence bounce back strongly from shocks such as this, due in no small part to the exceptionally high take-up of vaccinations in Ireland and the ceaseless adaptability shown by our businesses, despite uniquely challenging circumstances," he added.
Mr Murray said it is clear that inflation is a real and growing concern for consumers in Ireland.
"This is another factor which will have a significant impact on confidence into 2022," he said.
78% say they are concerned about prices for everyday purchases going up, an increase of 4% since the previous wave.
Groceries have seen the highest-perceived price increase among consumers in Ireland, with 59% feeling that the cost of groceries has gone up over the last month, followed by clothing and footwear.
Meanwhile, the data shows that the online shopping trend is continuing to grow, with 41% of respondents planning to shop online for clothing and footwear over the next four weeks - up 5% on the previous survey.
The data reveals that this trend is largely being driven by the millennial age group and those who wish to avoid physical stores due to safety concerns.
