UK Supermarket Inflation Rises to 2.6 Percent in June, Retailers Say Spikes Are Not Typical

Supermarket inflation in the UK increased to 2.6 percent in June from 2.4 percent in May, The Independent reported. Which? tracked prices of more than 27,000 products and attributed part of the rise to supply-chain pressure linked to the US-Iran war that began in February.

Fish prices rose 11.1 percent year on year, the largest category increase. Energy drinks followed at 5.5 percent, chocolate at 3.8 percent, water at 3.6 percent and fresh fruit at 3.4 percent. Individual products showed larger changes.

A 10-pack of Asda own-brand cheddar slices increased 113 percent to £1.39 from 65p. A 750ml bottle of Shloer Zero White Grape at Asda rose 95 percent to £2.77 from £1.42. Sainsbury’s own-brand pork pies rose 92 percent, a 40g bag of Kettle crisps at Morrisons rose 70 percent, and a 350g pack of breaded haddock fillets at Tesco rose 54 percent.

UK inflation overall held steady at 2.8 percent in May after reaching 3.3 percent in March. Sainsbury’s chief executive Simon Roberts said grocery inflation had remained lower than feared but warned that pressure in the system remained.

He added that consumer sentiment is not strong and that uncertainty persists over how the Middle East conflict will affect the economy. Roberts stated that pressure from fresh-food supply chains would begin to build by mid-summer and that energy costs form a major component of food prices. ’s figures and has not received its calculations.

A Sainsbury’s spokesperson said the three highlighted products are not representative of a typical weekly shop and that the company has invested more than £1 billion over the past five years in keeping prices low. An Asda spokesperson said the retailer offers the lowest prices of any traditional supermarket on the products families buy most.