Research has highlighted just how much shoppers are feeling the squeeze in stores with supermarket basics soaring in price by almost 30% on a yearly basis last month.
The huge increase was highlighted in the Which? inflation tracker, which reveals price changes at Aldi, Asda, Lidl, Morrisons, Ocado, Sainsbury's, Tesco and Waitrose. Across the eight retailers, butters and spreads increased by 29.4%, while milk prices rose by 26.3% and cheese was up 22.3% during the same period.
The tracker analysed tens of thousands of food and drink products across three months to show overall food and drink inflation in December was 15%. It comes as overall Consumer Prices Index (CPI) inflation was confirmed on Wednesday to have dipped slightly from 10.7% to 10.5% in the 12 months to December, the Mirror reports.
Read more: Food prices hit 45-year high despite inflation easing in the UK
The biggest individual price hike noted by the Which? tracker was Quaker Oat So Simple Simply Apple (8 x 33g) which shot up 188% from £1 in December 2021 to £2.88 in December 2022.
Utterly Butterly rose 95% from £1 to £1.95 at Waitrose while a pint of Waitrose Duchy Organic Homogenised semi-skimmed milk increased 87.1% from 79p to £1.43. A 200g serving of Tesco Creamfields French Brie rose 81.59% from 79p to £1.43.
The prices of budget and own-brand items went up at a faster rate (20.3% and 18.5% respectively) in comparison with premium and branded counterparts (12.6% and 12.5%). Lidl prices increased the most at 21.1% in December, followed closely by Aldi at 20.8%, though Which? says both supermarkets are still cheaper than other stores.
Asda came in third place with a 15.4% increase in prices, followed by Waitrose (14.5%), Sainsbury's (13.7%), Tesco (13.1%), Morrisons (12.9%) and Ocado (10.5%) Supermarket shoppers have told Which? of their dismay at the rate of inflation. One participant in his late 30s said: "The cost of food from supermarkets is close to unmanageable for many people, including myself.
"Given that large supermarkets make huge profits, I feel they could keep their prices down while we struggle with the cost of living."
A 43-year-old woman added that supermarkets "don’t care about the consumer and charge whatever they can to make as much profit as possible."
Sue Davies, Head of Food Policy at Which?, said: "We know food prices have risen exponentially in the last year and our inflation tracker shows the dramatic impact this is having on everyday products at the supermarket.
“Some households are already skipping meals to make ends meet and our findings show trust in supermarkets taking a hit as many people worry they are putting profits before the people suffering during this cost of living crisis. Supermarkets must do more, Which? is calling for them to ensure everyone has easy access to basic, affordable food ranges at a store near them, particularly in areas where people are most in need."
An Aldi spokesperson said: "We are the lowest-priced supermarket in Britain. Our customers will always pay less for their shop with Aldi and that is why Which? has named us as the cheapest supermarket in 2022.
"Value is the number one consideration for most households and our promise to our customers is that we will always provide the lowest grocery prices in Britain."
A spokesperson for Asda said: "We have a long-standing reputation for providing customers with outstanding value and it’s more important than ever that we deliver on this for them. We’re focused on keeping prices on branded and own-label products in check to ensure that Asda remains the lowest-priced traditional supermarket as shown by independent research carried out by Which? Magazine."
A spokesperson for Waitrose said: "With the increase in production costs for primary products and the war in Ukraine, no retailer is immune to inflation, however our overall price inflation is much lower than the examples selected, which have been impacted disproportionately. We’re working very hard with our suppliers to ensure we offer great value, while continuing to deliver industry-leading animal welfare standards, fresh produce grown with care and fair deals for farmers."
A spokesperson for Morrisons said: "We are working hard to keep prices down and competitive for our customers while maintaining high standards and availability in all our stores. Since December we have invested over £16 million to cut the prices on over 50% of our entry level products to help customers' money go further."
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