Grocery prices inched up in November and are at their most expensive since August, according to research by shopping and comparison website mySupermarket.co.uk.
mySupermarket’s Groceries Tracker monitors the cost of the same 35 most commonly bought grocery products and found the cost of the same basket of goods in November as £86.35, a slight increase compared to £86.16 in October and £85.93 in September.
The monthly increase was driven by a sharp rise in the price of apples, up 12%; grapes, up 10%; and broccoli, up 8%.
It’s not all bad news for grocery shoppers as the cost of their weekly basket is still 3% cheaper than a year ago. Also, compared to last month the price of onions has come down by 6%, tomatoes by 4% and deli bacon & ham by 3%.
The general increase in prices could be due to retailers focusing their savings on Christmas products. The cost of fresh turkey has fallen 12% compared to last year and the cost of mince pies has dropped 5%.
Gilad Simhony, CEO of mySupermarket.co.uk, said: ‘’Although grocery prices have generally been falling in 2015, the increase we have been seeing over the last few months is a concern as it could result in shoppers paying more for their essential weekly groceries.
“Shoppers looking to save money in the run up to Christmas should be aware of the cost of their favourite products before they go instore. It is great to see the price of turkeys and mince pies coming down. However, shoppers should be aware that other Christmas favourites such as champagne and sparkling wines have crept up.’’
