Shop prices fall for 12th consecutive month in April
Shop prices fell for the 12th consecutive month in April as shoppers took advantage of prices and promotions in supermarkets over the Easter trading period.
Figures released by the British Retail Consortium and Nielsen show that deflation slowed to 1.4% in April from 1.7% in March.
Food inflation slowed to 0.7% from 0.8% in March while non-food reported annual decelerated deflation of 2.7% in April from 3.2% in March.
The BRC said shoppers had been helped by the lowest level of food inflation since its records began in December 2006.
Never Miss a Retail Update!BRC director general Helen Dickinson explained: “Customers benefited from prices and promotions in their local supermarket as they stocked up for the Easter holidays.
“Retailers will continue to respond to cost conscious consumers by keeping prices down. We’ve also seen some excellent deals in clothing and footwear, electrical, furniture and flooring.
“After a rise at the beginning of the year a more positive outlook for commodity prices should mean prices remain stable in the coming months.”
Mike Watkins, head of retailer and business insight at Nielsen, added: “Whilst consumer confidence is slowly improving, shoppers remain cautious. So retailers are holding back on price increases wherever possible. With the escalation of price cutting by the major Supermarkets impacting shopping baskets over the next few weeks, we can anticipate any external pressures on food inflation to be held in check for the time being.”
