Overview
- A Which? comparison for August put Aldi cheapest at £127.92 for a 75‑item basket, just ahead of Lidl at £128.35, with Waitrose the most expensive at £172.61.
- Official data show food and drink inflation rose to 5.1% in August, the fifth monthly increase, driven by higher prices for vegetables, dairy, fish and beef.
- Market tracker Worldpanel by Numerator reports grocery inflation eased to 4.9% in September, with Pantheon Macroeconomics and EY Item Club expecting pressure to ease after a September peak.
- Shoppers report cutting back, switching to own‑brand products and doing fewer full shops, while Joseph Rowntree Foundation figures show 7.1 million low‑income households went without essentials in the six months to May.
- Retail groups cite rising employment costs, harvest shortfalls and new levies for higher shelf prices, the Treasury points to global commodity markets, and Chancellor Rachel Reeves signals support ahead of the 26 November Autumn Budget.