Grocery bills up £380 as prices hit a 13-year high

Britons are set to see their annual grocery bills jump by £380 this year as food price inflation hits a fresh 13-year high, according to new figures.

The latest data from Kantar reveals that grocery price inflation jumped to 8.3 per cent over the four weeks to June 12 — up from 7 per cent in May and its highest level since April 2009.

The soaring increases in the cost of food and groceries means the average annual shopping bill will increase by £380 in 2022 — more than another £100 since April alone, Kantar said.

Shoppers are increasingly swapping branded items for cheaper own-label products as they look to manage their budgets, according to the research.

It found that sales of branded products fell by 1 per cent in the 12 weeks to June 12, while own-label sales rose by 2.9 per cent and value own-label lines surged by 12 per cent.

Fraser McKevitt, head of consumer insight at Kantar, said sales of own-label lines have been “boosted by Aldi and Lidl’s strong performances, both of whom have extensive own-label repertoires”.

He added: “We can also see consumers turning to value ranges, such as Asda Smart Price, Co-op Honest Value and Sainsbury’s Imperfectly Tasty, to save money”.

But, despite rising food bills, the data showed Britons splashed out on the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations, with the fall in supermarket sales paring back to 1.9 per cent in the 12 weeks to June 12 — the best performance since October last year.

Sales in the last four weeks grew by 0.4 per cent year on year, with sales during the Jubilee week £87 million higher than on average in 2022.

Mr McKevitt said: “The sector hasn’t been in growth since April 2021 as it measures up against the record sales seen during the pandemic. However, these latest numbers show the market to an extent returning to pre-Covid norms as we compare with post-lockdown times. The inflation number makes for difficult reading and shoppers will be watching budgets closely as the cost-of-living crisis takes its toll.”