Fresh food prices rose at a record rate in December, at a time when many families would have been stocking up for Christmas, new figures suggest today (4), as retail industry bosses warned that high inflation would continue in 2023 amid the fallout from surging energy bills.
According to the British Retail Consortium (BRC), annual food inflation jumped to 13.3 per cent in December, up from 12.4 per cent in November. Fresh food inflation hit 15 per cent in December, up from 14.3 per cent in November, marking the highest monthly inflation rate for fresh food since records began in 2005.
The BRC said high prices for animal feed, fertiliser and energy fed into higher food prices on supermarket shelves, while warning that consumers would probably face further increases in 2023.
“It was a challenging Christmas for many households across the UK,” said the BRC’s chief executive, Helen Dickinson. “2023 will be another difficult year for consumers and businesses as inflation shows no immediate signs of waning.”
The BRC looks at the change in prices of 500 everyday items every month.
Dickinson said businesses struggling with soaring energy costs urgently required support from the government.
“Without the scheme, retailers could see their energy bills rise by £7.5bn,” The Guardian quoted Dickinson as saying. “The government must urgently provide clarity on what future support might look like, or else consumers might pay the price.”
New figures from market research firm Kantar today (4) show that grocery sales hit £12.8bn in the four weeks to Christmas Day.
Mince pies and Christmas puddings proved popular, although Brussels sprouts were off the menu for some households as the proportion buying them fell to 45 per cent from 48 per cent.
