Farewell to the 90s: alcopops and CDs out of UK 'shopping basket'

Two of the iconic items of the 1990s - alcopops and CDs - will no longer count towards the monthly update of Britain's cost of living following the latest shake-up of the shopping basket used to measure price changes.

- Larry Elliott

Providing evidence it is no longer fashionable to order a fruit drink laced with booze in a pub and that the age of the compact disc is over, the Office for National Statistics said both items had fallen foul of its annual audit of the UK's spending habits.

Non-chart CDs and alcopops along with digital compact cameras - were the highest-profile casualties of the latest rejigging of the ONS inflation basket, which contains everything from cucumbers and TV licences to compost and tissues, and is used to measure the annual inflation rate.

They have made way for new additions that reflect the environmentally aware, health-conscious and property-obsessed state of modern Britain: e-bikes, frozen berries for making smoothies, and home security devices.

The inflation basket is updated once a year by the ONS to account for the changing tastes and habits of UK consumers and to ensure the official yardstick of the cost of living is as accurate as possible.