In October grocery price inflation rose again and supermarket prices were 2.3% higher last month compared to the same period last year.
Analysts at Kantar said grocery inflation was slightly up from September’s 2% rise which is within “typical levels.”
In the four weeks to 3 November grocers’ sales rose by 2% to £11.6 billion which is the largest sales month of the year thus far.
Fraser McKevitt, head of retail and consumer insight at Kantar, said: “October 2024 was the busiest month for the supermarkets since March 2020, when people were preparing for the first national lockdown.
“Trip numbers have been going up gradually for some time, but this steady march hasn’t reached pre-Covid levels of shopping frequency just yet. The average for each household is slightly over four trips per week.
“What’s interesting this month is the number of households who are already stocking up the cupboards for the big day in December. Some people think Christmas ads hit our screens too soon but it’s clearly important for retailers to set out their stalls early.”
