logo
Grocery inflation soars to 18-month high as pressure grows on UK shoppers

Grocery inflation soars to 18-month high as pressure grows on UK shoppers

Grocery price inflation accelerated to 5.2% in the four weeks to July 13, according to market research firm Worldpanel by Numerator, which was recently renamed from Kantar.
It represented a rise from inflation of 4.7% a month earlier and marked the highest level since January 2024.
The data indicated that rising prices are set to add an average of £275 to shoppers' annual grocery spending.
Fraser McKevitt, head of retail and consumer insight at Worldpanel, said: 'Just under two thirds of households say they are very concerned about the cost of their grocery shopping, and people are adapting their habits to avoid the full impact of price rises.
'Own label products, which are often cheaper, continue to be some of the big winners and, in fact, sales of these ranges are again outpacing brands, growing by 5.6% versus 4.9%.'
He added that shopping data also showed that consumers have been cooking simpler meals in recent months as part of efforts to stick to budgets.
The price increases come amid a backdrop of commodity price pressures and higher costs for retailers, after recent increases in National Insurance contributions and the national minimum wage.
Worldpanel data also showed that overall consumer spending across UK grocers rose by 4.6% over the 12 weeks to July 13.
Online retail specialist Ocado saw the fastest rise in sales over the period, with 11.7%.
It was closely followed by German discount chain Lidl, which saw sales rise 11.1%, to take its share of the UK grocery market to 8.3%, moving it close to the size of rival Morrisons.
Elsewhere, the UK's largest supermarket chain Tesco increased its share of the market further after growing sales by 7.1%.
Asda and the Co-op were among the weaker performers, with sales declines of 3% and 3.7% respectively over the quarter.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Is your new job a scam? How to spot the red flags and avoid losing £1,000s
Is your new job a scam? How to spot the red flags and avoid losing £1,000s

Scottish Sun

time3 hours ago

  • Scottish Sun

Is your new job a scam? How to spot the red flags and avoid losing £1,000s

Find out how crooks go about gaining your trust SCAM ALERT Is your new job a scam? How to spot the red flags and avoid losing £1,000s Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) SCAMMERS are preying on desperate job hunters struggling to find work as unemployment rockets to a four-year high. With figures showing the unemployment rate at 4.7 per cent, those scrambling for work have become prime targets for fraudsters. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up Criminals are posing as recruiters to trick victims into handing over money or personal financial information. Lloyds Bank has reported a 237 per cent rise in job scams this year, with victims losing £1,420 on average. Mark Sitton, from TPF Recruitment, says: 'The current economic climate and rising unemployment has created the perfect environment for fraudsters to thrive in and carry out job scams.' Blathnaid Corless explains what to look out for . . . HOW THEY GET YOU THERE are lots of different scams to watch out for. You may get an unexpected text, email, call, WhatsApp or message on social media from fake agents offering flexible roles. They come with pay cheques of up to £1,000 a day, says Mark. His company has seen a spike in con artists pretending to be recruiters from the firm. Mark says: 'They will lead the victim through a seemingly legitimate recruitment process, which may include video interviews, requests for references and even fake offer letters, all of which create the illusion of credibility.' To gain your trust, crooks may even pay you a small fee for accepting the job offer. AI tricks to beat scammers as scam texts, calls and emails surge 'However, the real intention is to extract sensitive personal and financial information,' says Mark. Be wary if you are asked for personal details, such as your full name, address, date of birth and copies of your passport or driver's licence, as well as your National Insurance number, which can all be used to commit identity fraud. They may ask for your bank details in order to process your pay, but in reality, they are doing everything they can to get their hands on your cash. Some fake job ads have dodgy links that take you to websites designed to steal your logins or put viruses on your computer, says HSBC head of fraud David Callington. Sophisticated scammers will also create fake websites to draw you into the con. Victims will be shown an 'earnings dashboard' and told to pay a fee to unlock higher-paying tasks, Mark adds. As victims complete more tasks, they will see their 'earnings' rise on the dashboard and will be more inclined to pay in more money to level up to higher-paid tasks — but of course, it is all fake. Similarly, you may be told to sign up for a certain type of crypto wallet, which the fraudsters will secretly have access to. You will be told your pay will be sent to the wallet but that you need to put money into it first before you can do the work tasks. Then the scammers swipe the money. Victims may be asked to pay the company for computers or other tech needed as part of the job. And beware of the 'overpayment trick', David warns. 'Scammers will send you a cheque that is more than your 'salary' and ask you to send the difference back. 'Then their cheque bounces, and you're out of pocket.' THE RED FLAGS THERE are warning signs to watch out for if you have been approached by a recruiter. David Callington says: 'If a job offer seems too good to be true, pays higher than expected for little effort, asks for money upfront, or demands too much personal information too soon, be very, very suspicious.' 3 There are lots of different scams to watch out for A real recruiter would never ask you to pay them to secure a job, says Melissa Mhondoro, from the Recruitment and Employment Confederation, as this would be a breach of industry laws. A recruiter does not need to know your date of birth, financial information or your National Insurance details. You would never be asked for your bank details before you have signed a contract. Check any documents and contact details, such as the recruiter's email address, for poor spelling and grammar. Beware if the recruiter's email address contains @yahoo or @hotmail, or if you have been added to unknown apps or group chats where you will be spammed with job ads. Stick to applying for jobs directly on company websites or on well-known, trusted job boards such as LinkedIn, Indeed or Reed. If you think you have fallen for a fake job offer, you should stop talking to the 'agent' immediately. Take a note of their details and report it to Action Fraud (0300 123 2040, If you have handed over any money, tell your bank immediately. And scam-proof your phone by blocking unknown calls. BT INCREASES PRICE HIKE WATCH out for hefty mid-contract bill hikes if you are signing up for a new broad- band or mobile phone deal with BT, Plusnet or EE. BT, which owns the other two, has announced the three brands will increase their mid-contract price rises for broadband customers from £3 to £4 a month. 3 BT is set to increase their mid-contract price rises for broadband customers This affects new customers signing up for contracts any time from now. BT and EE customers will see the hike hit their bills on March 31 next year and again on March 31, 2027. Plusnet will roll out the higher charges to new customers signing up from Tuesday. For mobile plans, any BT, EE and Plusnet customers on Sim-only and Flex Pay plans will see their contracts rise by £2.50 in April. Bundled handset and airtime plan customers will face a £4 rise, also in April. Uswitch telecoms expert Ernest Doku described the changes as 'another pounding for consumers' wallets'. He added: 'BT's price updates have often set a precedent for other providers to follow suit. 'If this trend continues, the telecoms industry runs the risk of creating its own accelerated rate of inflation.' BT said in a statement said: 'We're focused on providing value and customer satisfaction, making new technologies available to our customers such as 5G standalone and WiFi 7.' BLATHNAID CORLESS LOVE AFFECTS PREMIUMS YOUR relationship status could be pushing up your car insurance by hundreds of pounds but there are ways to slash costs. Single drivers pay the most, at an average of £859 a year, according to data from MoneySuperMarket. 3 Your relationship status could be pushing up your car insurance But separated drivers are charged an average of £496 – £363 less. Marital status is a big factor insurers look at when assessing how risky you are. Single drivers are usually regarded as more risky to insure than married couples, who pay £799 on average for their annual premiums. Married couples have a reputation as financially stable and less accident-prone. Widowed motorists pay an average of £515, while those who are listed as a 'partner' pay £760. Making a simple tweak to your relationship status could save you hundreds of pounds – but don't lie, otherwise you could invalidate your insurance. For example, if you are no longer married, state 'divorced' instead of single, and save £349. Other ways to slash your premiums include parking in a garage instead of on the road. Pay annually, not monthly, otherwise you will be charged interest and pay more. If you don't have enough cash to pay upfront, consider using a zero per cent credit card, which charges no interest for a set period. SAM WALKER

Crisis club Sheffield Wednesday missed out on huge Danny Rohl windfall before boss walked out
Crisis club Sheffield Wednesday missed out on huge Danny Rohl windfall before boss walked out

Scottish Sun

time5 hours ago

  • Scottish Sun

Crisis club Sheffield Wednesday missed out on huge Danny Rohl windfall before boss walked out

DAN & OUT Crisis club Sheffield Wednesday missed out on huge Danny Rohl windfall before boss walked out Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY missed out on a Danny Rohl windfall weeks before his exit. German side Wolfsburg were willing to pay almost £1million compensation to bag him. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 2 Sheffield Wednesday missed out on cash for Danny Rohl's departure Credit: PA Play Dream Team now! Play The Sun Dream Team ahead of the 2025/26 season Free to play Over £100,000 in total prize money Play in Mini Leagues against your mates Submit a team for Gameweek 1 to enter £5,000 prize draw Play via Dream Team's app or website today! But owner Dejphon Chansiri wanted the full figure in boss Rohl's contract — which was more than double that sum. Rohl, 36, left the crisis club by mutual consent on Tuesday. Meanwhile, long-serving Liam Palmer, 33, will NOT hand in his notice despite the Owls' current problems. And neither will skipper Barry Bannan, who has signed a new contract at Wednesday to keep his daughter happy. READ MORE IN FOOTBALL FERM BID Man Utd 'ready to launch £61million transfer bid for Barca star Fermin Lopez ' The midfielder, 35, was a free agent and claimed he turned down 'interest from elsewhere' to remain at Hillsborough for an 11th consecutive season. It was a surprising announcement given Wednesday's dire financial situation ahead of their opening Championship clash at Leicester on Sunday August 10. Under the ownership of Thai businessman Chansiri, there have been late payments to HMRC, transfer embargoes, multiple failures to pay the wages of players and staff members, and rising debts. They only have 15 first-team squad members and departed manager Rohl has been replaced by his Danish assistant Henrik Pedersen. SUN VEGAS WELCOME OFFER: GET £50 BONUS WHEN YOU JOIN Yet Bannan struck an optimistic note as he explained his reasons for staying in the blue-and-white half of the Steel City. The Scottish father-of-two, who has made 447 Wednesday appearances, revealed that his children are delighted he is not leaving. He said: 'Being out of contract, it was the first time that has happened to me in my career so it's been hard. 'Deep down inside I always knew what I wanted to do. 'At times it seemed like what I didn't want to do could happen but now I'm delighted to get it done and I can look forward. 'There's loads of reasons really. I've made it clear over the years my love for the club and the love I receive back. 'This club is a big part of me and my family, who are with me here as I'm signing. 'They will always stand by me with whatever decision I make and I've decided to stay. 'With the season getting closer, this last week has been tough because there was interest from elsewhere and I had a lot to think about. 'We had a lot of conversations as a family and when I told my daughter Elsie that I might be leaving she started crying. 'Then last night when I told her I was staying she started crying again. I asked her why and she said they are just happy tears.'

Three major car brands slash £1,500 off EV prices in huge boost for millions of Brits
Three major car brands slash £1,500 off EV prices in huge boost for millions of Brits

Scottish Sun

time10 hours ago

  • Scottish Sun

Three major car brands slash £1,500 off EV prices in huge boost for millions of Brits

The German car manufacturer has introduced a 'grant guarantee' scheme for some of its all-electric vehicles PLUGGED IN Three major car brands slash £1,500 off EV prices in huge boost for millions of Brits Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) THREE major car brands have slashed the price of some of its electric cars by £1,500, giving a boost to millions of Brits. The move by the Volkswagen Group includes brands from Volkswagen, Skoda and Cupra and comes ahead of the Government's new EV scheme. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 4 A £650million grant will knock up to £3,750 off the price of low-priced EVs - with concerns raised over taxpayer funding and infrastructure issues Credit: Getty 4 The Volkswagen ID.3 will see it's price slashed by £1,500 Credit: Getty A new Electric Car Grant will see taxpayers foot the bill for EVs costing under £37,000, and only models from brands that have committed to a so-called Science-Based Target (SBT) for emissions. The grant worth £650million in total, which was announced by the government recently, will see prices slashed for some fully electric cars although it is so far unclear which models will be eligible for £1.500 or £3,750 off their respective price tags. It will be dependent on a complex sustainability criteria which is not entirely clear. Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander confirmed the Government's new scheme last month. The Electric Car Grant will offer between £1,500 and £3,750 off qualifying electric vehicles, depending on how sustainably they are made. However, it's not available yet, as carmakers must apply for approval — a process that could take weeks. The Volkswagen EVs that come under the firm's new £1,500 'Grant Guarantee' include the ID.3 in Pure, Pro and Pro trim levels, as well as the ID.4 in both Pro and Pure versions but excluding the GTX from both. The grant of £1,500 means the entry-level ID.3 Pure Essential's price drops to £29,360 while the ID.4 Pure Match is reduced to £38,090. Meanwhile, the Skoda's brands covered by the grant are the Elroq and Enyag, in SE, SE L, Edition and SportLine trim. The grant means the Elrog's price will start at £30,010 while the Enyag begins at £38,190. Volkswagen launch its new entry-level electric car, the Cupra's models covered by the grant is for the Born hatchback on V1, V2 and V3 trim levels, dropping the asking price to £34,190. The £1,500 'Grant Guarantee' for all three badges runs until August 31. Volkswagen, Skoda and Cupra all state the grant 'will honour the £1,500 grant on the vehicles specified, even if the government's grant is not awarded'. However, buyers won't be able to get both the 'Grant Guarantee' and the government's Electric Car Grant on any of the models, Auto Express reports. The move by the German car manufacturer follows similar deals or incentives from the likes of Hyundai, Alfa Romeo, Kia and Leapmotor. According to Auto Express, fewer than 50 new EV models would be eligible for the grant - provided they pass the necessary criteria. The scheme will also provide additional support for electric car purchases for Motability customers - as revealed in The Sun's recent report - offering substantial discounts. Find Your Next Car by What You Can Actually Afford Sun Motors has created the UK's First Finance-First Marketplace *Finance Powered by DSG Finance who are a Credit Broker Not A Lender. Representative 12.9%. Your rate may differ depending on individual circumstances You can check in less than 60 seconds if you are eligible for financing, and then search for your dream used car within your monthly budget. Here's how... Soft credit check , with no impact on your score , with no impact on your score 60-second decision , get a real finance decision in less than a minute , get a real finance decision in less than a minute Instant match , only see cars that fit your real budget , only see cars that fit your real budget AI-powered help, get tailored advice, suggestions, and instant answers from an AI advisor called Theo Find out what you can afford in just 60 seconds here. This has raised concerns among some critics, who argue that taxpayers may effectively be contributing twice - once through the Motability scheme and again through the EV grant subsidies. Furthermore, some welfare users have expressed difficulties with EVs, with issues such as limited home charging facilities and inadequate public charging infrastructure causing frustration for some. There are also several key points to keep in mind before you set out to choose your shiny new discontinued EV. Firstly, the scheme will not be immediately accessible - even though it officially launched on July 16. This is because car brands must apply for eligibility for the vehicles in their ranges, rather than buyers being able to register grants at the point of purchase. Also, not all grants will amount to £3,750 as the scheme adopts a two-tier system, with the value deducted from the recommended retail price (RRP) depending on how environmentally friendly the manufacturing process is for each model. According to the RAC, these restrictions encourage drivers to choose models that are not only cost-effective, but also more sustainable for the planet. Transport Minister Lilian Greenwood has warned that vehicles made in China may not be eligible. Speaking previously on the BBC's Today programme, she said factories powered by coal are unlikely to meet the Government's strict criteria. She added that only brands reaching minimum environmental standards will be approved for taxpayer support. 4 Skoda's Elroq will also see it's price slashed Credit: PR Handout

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store