Responding to the latest CPI
inflation figures which show headline
remaining at 4% and food inflation falling 1.1 percentage points
to 6.9%, Kris Hamer, Director of Insight of the British Retail
Consortium, said:
“The new year began with an unchanged headline inflation rate,
with a rise in miscellaneous goods and services counteracted by
falls in categories such as furniture and household equipment and
housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels. Discounts
offered by retailers in the January sales helped shoppers,
particularly in clothing and footwear. There was some good news
for households, as food inflation fell for the tenth consecutive
month, with condiments and dried vegetables seeing large
month-on-month falls in price.
“With the headline inflation rate failing to fall for the second
consecutive month there is no space for complacency. Government
should recognise the cumulative impact of their policies – from
rises in business rates to its new packaging levy – at a time
when minimum wages are seeing the biggest rise on record and
border checks are being implemented. Ultimately, if these costs
continue rising unabated, it is inevitable that they will filter
back into the price paid by households.”
-ENDS-
Notes:
-
ONS Consumer Price Index figures
|
Year on Year changes
|
Dec-23
|
Jan-23
|
|
CPI (overall index)
|
4.0%
|
4.0%
|
|
01 Food and non-alcoholic beverages
|
8.0%
|
6.9%
|
|
02 Alcoholic beverages and tobacco
|
12.9%
|
12.4%
|
|
03 Clothing and footwear
|
6.4%
|
5.6%
|
|
04 Housing, water, electricity, gas and
other fuels
|
-3.4%
|
-2.1%
|
|
05 Furniture, household equipment and
maintenance
|
2.5%
|
0.4%
|
|
06 Health
|
7.3%
|
6.9%
|
|
07 Transport
|
-1.1%
|
-0.3%
|
|
08 Communication
|
8.5%
|
8.2%
|
|
09 Recreation and culture
|
5.7%
|
5.7%
|
|
10 Education
|
4.5%
|
4.5%
|
|
11 Restaurants and hotels
|
7.0%
|
7.0%
|
|
12 Miscellaneous goods and services
|
4.3%
|
4.5%
|
