Grocery inflation falls to lowest since late 2024

Grocery price inflation has slowed to its lowest rate since December 2024 after the World Cup and heatwaves drove the highest number of supermarket trips in more than five years.

Supermarket prices were 2.6 per cent higher than a year ago over the four weeks to July 12.

The figure marked a significant slowdown from June’s three per cent and the lowest rate since December 2024, according to figures from Worldpanel by Numerator.

It is the fifth consecutive month of easing prices, although the average household’s grocery bill over the year to July is still £156 higher than the same period a year earlier.

Fraser McKevitt, Worldpanel head of retail and consumer insight, said: “Easing price rises will come as welcome news to shoppers, but the annual bill tells a fuller story.

“The average household spent £5530 on groceries over the past 12 months to July, up £156 on the same period last year – a reminder that even as the rate of inflation cools, the cumulative cost of the weekly shop keeps climbing.”

Shoppers made 497 million trips to the supermarket over the four weeks, an average of 17 per household, and the highest figure recorded since March 2020.

Trips including beer or cider purchases rose eight per cent year on year, while the no and low alcohol category saw a ten per cent surge.

Wimbledon fortnight saw £77 million spent on strawberries and £21 million on cream.

Budget operator Lidl’s market share moved up by 0.5 percentage points over the last quarter, as sales rose by 8.6 per cent.

Morrisons returned to share growth, claiming 8.5 per cent of the market as sales rose by 3.5 per cent, while spending through the tills at Co-op increased by 5.6 per cent.

Sainsbury’s also gained market share, moving from 15.1 per cent last year to 15.2 per cent in the last 12 weeks, while sales at Tesco were up by 1.7 per cent with a market share of 27.9 per cent.

Sales at Asda were down 1.1 per cent on last year, though the figure was an improvement on the 3.6 per cent drop reported last month.

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