Supermarket shopping could rise by £643 as food inflation hits record high

THE annual price of supermarket shopping is tipped to rise by £643 as food inflation hits record levels.

Kantar researchers say grocery inflation jumped to 13.9 per cent over the 12 weeks to October 2 - the highest rate since the company began tracking prices during the 2008 financial crash.

The current figure, which is a rise of 4.8 per cent, means the average household will spend £5,265 a year if they keep buying the items at supermarkets. That amounts to an extra £3.04 on top of the average shopping trip last year, which was £21.89, according to Kantar.

Researchers say milk, dog food and margarine were the products that rose the most in price. The researchers also noted that more people are opting to buy cheaper, own label supermarket brands, with sales of those products up 8.1 per cent. Sales of cooking appliances like slow cookers, air fryers and sandwich makers, which generally use less energy, were up 53 per cent on a yearly basis in the four weeks to September. Sales of duvets, electric blankets and candles also rose.

Kantar head of retail and consumer insight Fraser Mckevitt said: “With an eye on rising energy bills, shoppers appear to be searching for cheaper ways to cook as they try to avoid using their ovens. Meanwhile, sales of duvets and electric blankets have grown by eight per cent while candles increased by nine per cent, suggesting people may be preparing for possible winter blackouts.”

Lidl was the fastest-growing grocery for the fifth month in a row with its sales rising 20.9 per cent over the 12 weeks.