Food Inflation Slows Sharply in UK During April

Stephen Robertson, British Retail Consortium Director General, said: "After last week's official return to recession, these figures give customers some reasons to be cheerful. Fuel, utilities and even stamps are much more expensive than they were but retailers are holding back or actually cutting prices.

9 May 2012 --- Overall shop price inflation fell to 1.3% in April from 1.5% in March. Food inflation slowed to 4.3% in April from 5.4% in March. Non-food reported deflation of 0.5% in April from 0.9% in March.

Stephen Robertson, British Retail Consortium Director General, said: "After last week's official return to recession, these figures give customers some reasons to be cheerful. Fuel, utilities and even stamps are much more expensive than they were but retailers are holding back or actually cutting prices. Food inflation dropped to where it was before March's sudden rise and non-food goods have now been cheaper than a year ago for three months in a row.

"This time last year rocketing animal feed and ingredients costs were driving food prices up sharply. Now, easing world prices for commodities such as wheat and sugar are working through to the shops.

"Dairy products, margarine and fish are among the foods seeing much lower inflation than last year. Meanwhile, retailers continue to discount hard but often with vouchers for money off your whole bill or your petrol rather than off individual items. Where food prices go next is hard to predict. Competition will remain intense in the face of weak demand from customers but some commodity price rises - soyabean and corn - are in the pipeline.

"Promotions remain essential to generating sales of goods that are not immediate needs. Clothing, shoes, electricals and furniture were all cheaper than this time in 2011 but margin-slashing discounting cannot be sustained forever."