Grocery inflation hits new record high in UK: Research

By Burak Bir

LONDON (AA) - Price increases for groceries in the UK hit an all-time high with a 17.5% rise in the four weeks to March 19 compared with the previous year, according to the latest figures on Tuesday.

Households in Britain are facing some £837 surge in annual cost of grocery, as grocery inflation rose again in March to 17.5%, according to media reports, citing the data firm Kantar.

The market researcher Kantar also noted that footfall in markets continue to up. "Apart from Christmas, that’s the highest frequency we’ve seen since the start of the pandemic," said Fraser McKevitt, head of retail and consumer insight at Kantar.

He said that supermarkets are also tackling grocery price inflation, battling to demonstrate value.

"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," added McKevitt.

According to the BRC-Nielsen Shop Price Index which measures UK shop monthly price inflation, shop prices in the UK are now 8.9% higher than what was a year ago.