Supermarkets are continuing to impose sharp price hikes on their budget food items as inflation starts to drop, new analysis has found.
According to NationalWorld’s exclusive price tracker of supermarket value range food, drink and cleaning products, there were 152 recorded price rises last month.
Shoppers who rely on own-brand value food, drink and household products have been hit by steep price rises, with hikes of up to 80% in January.
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It means of the 613 products between 4 January and 6 February, a quarter got more expensive – the greatest number and proportion of price rises recorded since last June.
This included over 20 Everyday Essentials products at Aldi, where shoppers have tended to be mostly protected from value range price rises.
Since April last year, more than four out of five products (82%) have seen price rises, with several at least doubling in price during that time – marmalade from Tesco and Sainsbury’s, Morrisons toilet paper, Sainsbury’s washing up liquid, Tesco peppers and Tesco chocolate chip cookies.
The latest Consumer Prices Index (CPI) data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed inflation had continued to fall, from 11.1% in October to 10.7% in November and 10.5% in December. But food prices had not followed suit, with inflation rising again to 16.8%.
Inflation was particularly high among milk, cheese and eggs, with prices up 30.2% in December 2022 compared to December 2021.
“With household budgets under increasing pressure we are absolutely committed to helping our customers, by keeping a laser focus on the cost of the weekly shop,” a Tesco spokesperson said.
“So whether it’s price matching Aldi on the basics, locking the price of more than a thousand household staples until Easter 2023, or offering exclusive deals and rewards through thousands of Clubcard Prices – we’re more committed than ever to providing our customers with great value.”
An Aldi spokesperson commented: “We are working hard to shield customers from industry-wide inflation and have recently increased the number of Everyday Essentials products in our range.”
They added: “Our promise to customers is that we will always provide the lowest grocery prices, as confirmed by consumer champion Which? who recently named Aldi as Britain’s lowest-priced supermarket.”
It comes after food and farming suppliers have clashed with Tesco chairman John Allen over claims that they are using high inflation to raise prices unnecessarily.
