Food bills zoom as UK grocery inflation soars to record 14.7%: Report

Inflation on the weekly supermarket shop has struck a record high in the UK, making it harder for families to put food on the table. Grocery price inflation hit 14.7 per cent in the past four weeks, the highest level since Kantar started tracking the data in 2008. 

The jump in prices means the average annual shop is set to rise by £682 ($782) even as consumers contend with rising energy bills as the weather gets colder. 

More than a quarter of households said they’re struggling financially, twice as many as a year earlier, and the vast majority said that higher prices on food and drink was a major concern. Shoppers were doing their best to save pennies on their groceries, buying own label goods and visiting cheaper supermarket rivals. 

“It’s clear just how much grocery inflation is hitting people’s wallets and adding to their domestic worries,” said Fraser McKevitt, head of retail and consumer insight at Kantar. “It’s too early right now to call the top.