Responding to the latest CPI inflation
figures, which show headline inflation falling slightly to 2.8%
and food inflation falling to 3.0%, Harvir Dhillon, Economist at
the British Retail Consortium, said:
“Shoppers will breathe a sigh of relief as both headline and food
inflation eased this month. Despite the ongoing cost pressures
resulting from the Iran conflict, intense competition across the
retail sector has successfully helped to stem inflation in the
short-term. In the clothing sector, there were significant deals,
with the prices of accessories falling over the last month; while
those with a sweet tooth will be pleased to see the price of
cocoa and powdered chocolate falling by 2.2%.
“Retailers are already battling a wave of additional costs, from
rising utilities to the National Living Wage and Employer NICs,
meaning they cannot absorb these pressures indefinitely. To
mitigate these pressures and help bring down prices for
consumers, the Government must pursue credible and pragmatic
measures which reduce costs for businesses. This should include
targeting support towards retailers by addressing the
non-commodity charges which make up over two-thirds of retailers'
energy bills, as well as cutting regulatory burdens which
increase operational costs for businesses across the sector.”
-ENDS-
Notes:
-
ONS Consumer Price Index figures
|
Year on Year changes
|
Mar-26
|
Apr-26
|
|
CPI (overall index)
|
3.3%
|
2.8%
|
|
01 Food and non-alcoholic beverages
|
3.7%
|
3.0%
|
|
02 Alcoholic beverages and tobacco
|
3.3%
|
2.8%
|
|
03 Clothing and footwear
|
-0.8%
|
0.7%
|
|
04 Housing, water, electricity, gas and
other fuels
|
5.3%
|
1.4%
|
|
05 Furniture, household equipment and
maintenance
|
-0.4%
|
0.5%
|
|
06 Health
|
3.1%
|
2.4%
|
|
07 Transport
|
4.7%
|
4.5%
|
|
08 Communication
|
4.1%
|
4.5%
|
|
09 Recreation and culture
|
2.8%
|
1.7%
|
|
10 Education
|
5.1%
|
5.1%
|
|
11 Restaurants and hotels
|
4.0%
|
4.4%
|
|
12 Miscellaneous goods and services
|
2.5%
|
2.6%
|
