Shoppers are facing fresh pain at the till after grocery inflation rose for the first time in more than a year — with some everyday products more than doubling in price. Research by consumer group Which? found that overall supermarket inflation climbed from 2.4% in May to 2.6% in June, marking the first monthly increase since May last year. The uptick, driven by increased pressure on supply chains linked to the US-Iran war, has prompted warnings that households cannot afford to be complacent.
Fish saw the steepest category rise at 11.1% compared with last June, mirroring the higher costs reported by fish and chip shops for cod and haddock. Energy drinks went up 5.5%, chocolate 3.8%, water 3.6% and fresh fruit 3.4% — all exceeding the overall inflation rate. Which? tracked more than 27,000 products across the UK's biggest supermarkets to compile the data.
“Grocery inflation rises to 2.6% in June, first increase in a year, with some products more than doubling in price.”
Some individual items have rocketed even more dramatically. Asda's own-brand cheddar slices (200g) more than doubled from 65p in the three months to June last year to £1.39 in the same period this year — a 113% increase. A 750ml bottle of Shloer Zero White Grape at Asda rose 95%, from £1.42 to £2.77. Sainsbury's own-brand pork pies (two-pack) jumped 92%, from 91p to £1.75. A 40g bag of Kettle crisps at Morrisons went up 70%, while Tesco's breaded haddock fillets (350g) rose 54%. Tesco's budget-range Ms Molly's Iced Fairy Cakes (12-pack) increased 66%, from £1.20 to £1.99.
Which? said Tesco had the highest overall inflation in June, at 4.1%, up from 2.9% in May, followed by Sainsbury's at 3.9%. The figures, however, exclude loyalty discounts from Tesco's Clubcard and Sainsbury's Nectar schemes. A Tesco spokesperson said: "We are committed to keeping the cost of the weekly shop as low as possible. We do not recognise these figures, and Which? has not shared its calculations with us. Customers can be confident in the great value…"
Reena Sewraz, Which? retail expert, said: "After months of easing grocery inflation, this month's increase is a reminder that pressure on household budgets hasn't disappeared." She added: "While overall inflation remains far below the highs seen during the cost of living crisis, our latest data, combined with retailers' own warnings that cost pressures remain in the system, suggests supermarkets cannot be complacent and it remains crucial for affordable budget ranges to remain widely available across all stores so shoppers aren't forced to pay more for everyday essentials."
Experts have warned that food inflation could rise further in the coming weeks amid the ongoing fallout from the Middle East war and higher crude oil prices. The conflict between the US and Iran, which began in February, has disrupted the crucial Strait of Hormuz shipping waterway, compounding cost pressures on supply chains. With peace talks stalling and fighting resuming, the question for households now is how much more their weekly shop will cost before the pressure eases.
