GROCERY INFLATION HITS NEW RECORD HIGH Customers now paying hundreds of pounds more a year
UK grocery inflation has hit a new record high – with customers now paying hundreds more a year – but there are warnings the worst is yet to come.
As inflation for food hits 17.5%, Kantar Worldpanel reported households are now facing a potential £837 hike in the annual cost of their regular basket – although consumers are increasingly shopping around in a bid to find the best value.
Its latest report said footfall was up in “every single grocer” over the four weeks to March 19, with households now visiting three or more of the top 10 retailers per month on average – with chains “battling it out” to get buyers through their doors.
But amid concerns over the impact of salad shortages in some UK supermarkets, Kantar said shoppers had instead turned to independents to plug any gaps in availability.
Its head of retail and consumer insight, Fraser McKevitt, said: “Despite concerns about shortages, the number of baskets containing tomatoes, cucumbers or peppers in the 10 major grocers stayed at 17% in March, the same as February.