Households still squeezed by high prices
Responding to the latest CPI inflation figures which shows headline inflation at 10.1%, and food inflation at 16.8%, Helen Dickinson, chief executive of the British Retail Consortium, said: “While inflation eased for the third month in a row, households are still being squeezed by high prices. The cost of food remains elevated, with the ripple effect from the war in Ukraine pushing up the price of food due to the knock-on increases from high fertiliser and energy prices. So as Christmas discounts faded away, households will have felt the pressure in their weekly grocery shop.
“Despite this, consumers were offered some relief, as the prices of petrol and diesel fell. In addition, clothing and footwear inflation eased as retailers offered bigger discounts in the January sales. Retailers remain committed to doing everything they can to keep the price of essentials low for consumers, expanding value ranges and offering discounts for vulnerable groups.”