UK shop prices in deflation after "difficult summer" for retailers

(Alliance News) - UK shop prices in August entered deflation for the first time since 2021, ...

Alliance News 27 August, 2024 | 4:22AM
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(Alliance News) - UK shop prices in August entered deflation for the first time since 2021, according to figures from the British Retail Consortium on Tuesday.

The trade association said that during the first week of August, UK shop prices decreased 0.3% year-on-year, below the three-month average no change and compared with July's annual inflation of 0.2%.

"Shop price annual growth remained at its lowest rate since October 2021," the BRC noted.

Non-food prices showed 1.5% deflation in August, compared with 0.9% deflation in July and leaving inflation "at its lowest rate since July 2021".

Food prices remained in inflation, but this slowed to 2.0% from 2.3%. Inflation of fresh food prices eased to 1.0% in August from 1.4% in July, as supplier input costs decreased.

"Shop prices fell into deflation for the first time in nearly three years," commented BRC Chief Executive Helen Dickinson. "This was driven by non-food deflation, with retailers discounting heavily to shift their summer stock, particularly for fashion and household goods.

"This discounting followed a difficult summer of trading caused by poor weather and the continued cost of living crunch impacting many families."

Looking ahead, she cautioned: "The outlook for commodity prices remains uncertain due to the impact of climate change on harvests domestically and globally, as well as rising geopolitical tensions.

"As a result, we could see renewed inflationary pressures over the next year."

By Emma Curzon, Alliance News reporter

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