Warm spring helps grocery prices rise by 4.1% in UK

Grocery price inflation in the UK jumped to 4.1% in the past month - the highest level since February 2024 - driven by the rising cost of butter, chocolate and sun cream, as Britons enjoyed the warm spring.

- Sarah Butler

Shoppers are increasingly searching out discount deals and turning to supermarket own-label products to help manage their budgets, according to analysts at Kantar, as the pace of price rises stepped up from the 3.8% reported in April.

Fraser McKevitt, the head of retail and consumer insight at Kantar, said: "Households have been adapting their buying habits to manage budgets for some time, but we typically see changes in behaviour once inflation tips beyond the 3% to 4% point as people notice the impact on their wallets more."