 IT seems clear that the UK is lacking in confidence right now. Reigniting that confidence will be key to bringing about the economic upturn that we all wish to see.  Of course, the retail industry in particular and business as a whole have had a tough few weeks.  However, it is important to remember that the current state of affairs is not new. The economic downturn began in 2008 and has been with us ever since.  When we entered the recession, many predicted that Sainsbury's, with our focus on quality and value, would suffer as consumers flocked to budget retailers in a singleminded attempt to save money. Instead, we flourished, consistently reporting strong, market-beating growth.  What we have seen is that, while people were feeling the pinch, they were not prepared to sacrifice quality or their ethical beliefs. as a result Fairtrade has grown at a record rate over the past few years, as have sales of RSPCa Freedom Food and MSC-certified fish.  Consumers began shopping smartly, reducing their costs or offsetting inflation by shopping through the ranges, content to add "basics" products to their baskets alongside "Taste the Difference". More recently, we've seen a trend towards smaller weekly shops and more frequent top-ups, as people plan their shopping more carefully and seek to reduce waste.  With this long period of austerity and uncertainty as a backdrop, how, then, do we inject confidence back into UK consumers to get our economy moving again? addressing rising costs would be a good place to start. Energy prices are going up, so too are public transport and fuel costs. Fuel is a particularly tough area as, with 80pc of the pump price going to the Treasury, customers feel - with some justification - that they are paying far more than they should.  all businesses should do everything they can to keep prices as low as possible and government must play its part in this, avoiding further tax rises or legislation which burdens business with costs.  Job creation is also key. When people feel uncertain about their future, they cut back and save more, just in case the worst should happen. The Government's growth strategy highlights the retail sector as a key source of employment growth. at Sainsbury's, we have created over 13,000 jobs in the past two years and, thanks to our ambitious expansion plans, we will create a further 20,000 by 2014. Many of these jobs will be taken up by young people, setting them on the path to a promising career.  By creating jobs such as these, we can reassure the public that, although times are tough, there is reason to be hopeful for the future.  However, businesses also need reassurance from government if they are g 