Yahoo Finance From milk and bread to iPhones: How retail prices are rising in the UK
The ability to dodge inflation is starting to look like a luxury as living costs spiral, leaving UK households struggling to pay bills.
A grocery run of 46 everyday items has jumped almost £3 to £112 between the beginning of the year and now as supermarkets pass on the rising prices to customers.
An already record high inflation jumped even higher to 7% in March, the sharpest annual rise in the cost of living since the early 1980s.
The Bank of England has warned that inflation is on track to reach 8% this April and could peak close to 10% later this year.
Prices of basic items like eggs, milk and fruit have all risen by around 7%, the rate of inflation, and some even more than that.
A bottle of semi skimmed milk is up 5p from January to this week in April, according to Yahoo Finance UK analysis based on the figures from the price comparison site Trolley.co.uk.
Read more: Shoppers resorting to bulk buying amid cost of living crisis
A pack of 10 free range eggs will cost you £3.20 today. That’s 5% more than the £3.05 price tag at the beginning of the year.
A can of Branston baked beans has shot up by more than a third (37%) to £0.55. The same beans would have cost £0.40 at the start of the year.
Natalie Hitchins, head of home products and services at consumer group Which?, told Yahoo Finance UK: "Rising food prices and the cost of living crisis are putting huge pressure on household budgets.
"Shopping around and buying own-brand products is an easy way to save hundreds of pounds a year. Those prepared to switch to a cheaper supermarket for their regular shop will likely find some great value alternatives to their favourite brands.
"Writing a shopping list and sticking to it by resisting the temptation to pick up special offers you don't need is another way to save - but it can pay to stock up when items you buy regularly are discounted, such as multipacks."
Oranges have also shot up in cost, with a pack of four navelina oranges now going for £1.50, 50p more.
A bag of six Royal gala apples used to cost £1.10, but not anymore. Today you’ll have to pay £1.60 for the same apples. Even a soft white farmhouse bread loaf will cost you 5p more.
“The escalating cost of living crisis has been making it increasingly difficult for many families in the UK to afford the food they need," said Indu Gurung, acting project manager for the Peas Please vegetable campaign from the Food Foundation.
Other essentials, including tomatoes, margarine, and pork sausages, have all seen price rises of over 33%.
A bag of 250g baby plum tomatoes are up 26p to £0.85, a 44% increase, and a 500g tub of Clover light spread is currently at £1.50, up by one third (33%) between January and April.
The British Retail Consortium (BRC), which represents most major UK supermarket chains, said retailers are doing their best to keep prices down but more hikes to household food bills could be on their way.
“Consumer confidence has fallen significantly in recent months, as worries around personal finances rise. Households face a plethora of rising costs, with higher inflation to come as the increase in the energy price cap pushes up April’s figures.
Read more: UK inflation hits 30-year high of 7% as cost of living crisis deepens
"Retailers are not exempt from these pressures, as the costs of transport, energy, raw materials and staff wages all continue to rise,” Helen Dickinson, chief executive of the BRC, said.
According to the latest figures by the BRC, shop prices rose by 2.1% in March in what was the fastest annual increase since September 2011.
But supermarkets seem to be holding back on increasing prices on some items.
From pork chops to lamb, meat appears to have not gone up in price since January. A pork loin joint is still at £5.50 and a kilo of beef is actually 55p cheaper.
Inflation has also found its way into consumer electronics, with online prices, which usually drop over time due to competition, increasing every month.
An Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max 256gb will cost you £1,149 on Amazon today. This same mobile would have been £1,135 on the same retailer in January, according to the price history data from pricerunner.com.
Shopping online for a MacBook Air 2020 back in January would have set you back £795. Now, the cheapest online retailer is asking £839 for it.
Over-ear headphones Beats Studio3 wireless went up 2% in price to £166 this week.
Even TVs are going up in price. On one online retailer specialising in TV sets, a 43" LED LG TV is £10 pricier, with a price tag of £339.
Read more: Cost of living crisis: Top tips to save hundreds of pounds on supermarket bills
Check the prices of a grocery basket of almost 50 items and see how much more you are paying below:
Food item | Current price | Price at the start of 2022 | Price difference | % |
Apples 6x | £1.60 | £1.10 | £0.50 | 45% |
Tomatoes (baby plum tomatoes 250g) | £0.85 | £0.59 | £0.26 | 44% |
Baked Beans | £0.55 | £0.40 | £0.10 | 37% |
Oranges (Navelina 4x) | £1.50 | £0.99 | £0.51 | 34% |
Margarine/light spread 500g | £2.00 | £1.50 | £0.50 | 33% |
Pork sausages 400g | £2.65 | £2.00 | £0.65 | 33% |
Grapefruit | £0.50 | £0.40 | £0.10 | 25% |
Cheddar cheese 550g (mature) | £4.30 | £3.50 | £0.80 | 23% |
Granulated sugar 500g | £0.67 | £0.55 | £0.12% | 21% |
Decaff Instant Coffee 200g | £3.49 | £2.99 | £0.50 | 16% |
British Carrots Loose | £0.45 | £0.40 | £0.05 | 13% |
Cereal (375g) | £2.25 | £2.00 | £0.25 | 13% |
Tea bags 232g 80x | £1.99 | £1.79 | £0.20 | 11% |
Toilet Roll | £2.50 | £2.25 | £0.25 | 11% |
Multipack Of Crisps | £1.65 | £1.50 | £0.10 | 10% |
Broccoli 300g | £0.75 | £0.70 | £0.05 | 7% |
Onions (3x 385g) | £0.90 | £0.85 | £0.05 | 6% |
10 Eggs (free range) | £3.20 | £3.05 | £0.15 | 5% |
12% Fat Beef Mince | £2.70 | £2.60 | £0.10 | 4% |
Salmon fillets 240g | £3.50 | £3.35 | £0.15 | 4% |
White loaf (400g) | £1.20 | £1.15 | £0.05 | 4% |
Chicken breast fillets 1kg | £5.45 | £5.25 | £0.20 | 4% |
Beer (18x 330ml) | £12.49 | £11.99 | £0.50 | 4% |
Bananas | £0.78 | £0.76 | £0.02 | 3% |
Milk 2l semi skimmed | £1.95 | £1.90 | £0.05 | 2.50% |
Loin chop 600g | £4.25 | £4.25 | £0 | 0% |
Diced lamb shoulder | £3.50 | £3.50 | £0.00 | 0% |
Mushrooms 300g | £0.95 | £0.95 | £0 | 0% |
Spreadable butter 250g | £2.50 | £2.50 | £0 | 0% |
Block of butter 250g | £1.70 | £1.70 | £0 | 0% |
Beef rump steak 255g | £3.80 | £3.80 | £0 | 0% |
Pears 4x | £1.80 | £1.80 | £0 | 0% |
Coffee sachets (8x 184g) | £1.50 | £1.50 | £0 | 0% |
Cucumber each | £0.69 | £0.69 | £0 | 0% |
Lettuce - iceberg each | £0.70 | £0.70 | £0 | 0% |
White fish fillets per kg | £3.55 | £3.55 | £0 | 0% |
Baking potatoes 2.5kg | £1.25 | £1.25 | £0 | 0% |
White cabbage | £0.59 | £0.59 | £0 | 0% |
Back bacon 300g | £1.75 | £1.75 | £0 | 0% |
Pork loin joint | £5.50 | £5.50 | £0 | 0% |
Avocado | £0.70 | £0.70 | £0 | 0% |
Pasta 500g | £0.70 | £0.70 | £0 | 0% |
Laundry detergent (72 washes) | £9.25 | £9.25 | £0 | 0% |
Beef kg | £6.07 | £6.62 | -£0.55 | -8% |
Grapes 500g | £1.75 | £2.00 | -£0.25 | -13% |
Source: Yahoo Finance UK based on Trolley.co.uk data
