Although grocery price inflation in the UK dropped for the fifth consecutive month last month to 12.7%, the cost of food remained greater than previously, forcing families to face difficult decisions.
One in seven adults, according to StepChange’s research, recently skipped meals or had to buy less expensive, unhealthy food to make credit payments.
With individuals on Universal Credit, this proportion increased to one in three.
According to market research company Kantar, grocery prices increased by 14.9% in the four weeks leading up to July 9 when compared to the same period last year, down from a June increase of 16.5%.
Food inflation is still “incredibly high” even if it has decreased since Christmas.
The decline was partially caused by consumers paying more through programs like Tesco’s Clubcard and Sainsbury’s Nectar in an effort to save money.
Fraser McKevitt, head of retail and consumer insight at Kantar, said: “Consumers would have been relieved to see the cost of several staple commodities starting to move down compared with earlier in 2023.
Prices are still up year over year across every supermarket shelf
Consumers paid £1.50 for four pints of milk last month, down from £1.69 in March, and a litre of sunflower oil now costs on average £2.19, 22 pence less than it did in the spring.
Here is a look at the food categories that have had the biggest price increases, as food costs are one of the major drivers of the UK’s overall inflation rate.
How much have weekly purchases risen?
The average increase in households’ weekly food spending of £5.13 over the previous year was attributed to changes in customers’ shopping habits, according to Fraser McKevitt, head of retail and consumer insight at Kantar.
If they had kept doing their shopping the same manner they had a year prior, this amount would have been £11.27.
One way that consumers have altered their behavior is by looking for better discounts at discount supermarkets like Aldi and Lidl.
As a result, the chain of stores has taken a larger percentage of consumer spending than its competitors and has experienced the fastest rate of market expansion.
Which food categories experience the biggest inflation?
The fastest-rising food type across all 20 categories, according to Which?, is cheese.
The worst-hit categories include milk, yoghurt, and biscuits.
Inflation was monitored by the price comparison service for the three months of April through June 2023.
This is a complete table of increases for various grocery goods.
What you eat or drink For the three months from April to June 2023,
Annual inflation
The annual rate of inflation in June 2023
Cheese 23.7% 20.9%
Yogurts 20.6% 19.4%
Biscuits 18.3% 19.3%
Milk 21.1% 19%
Crisps 18.2% 18.8%
Water, 19% 18.5%
Chocolate 17.4% 18.4%
flavored juices and smoothies 17.8% 18%
cookies and cakes 18.6%
Cereals, 17.9% 16.8%
Bakery 17.5%; 17.4% 15.9%
Fish 15.5% 15.3%
Savory quiches, pies, and pastries 15.5% 15%
Drinks that fizz 13.2% 14.3%
Energy beverages 11.9% 13.8%
Meat 14.7%
Vegetables: 13.6% 14.5% 13.1%
Ready-to-eat chilled meals 11.9%
Butters and spreads 13.1% 16.3%
Fresh fruit, 10.9% 9.4% 7.5%
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