The British Retail Consortium said prices in supermarkets and retail chains rose 9.0% in the year to May, after an 8.8% increase in April."While overall shop price inflation rose slightly in May, households will welcome food inflation beginning to fall," said BRC chief executive Helen Dickinson.
Official food price inflation, which earlier this year rose to its highest rate since 1977, slowed only marginally to 19.1% from 19.2%. "While there is reason to believe that food inflation might be peaking, it is vital that government does not hamper this early progress by piling more costs onto retailers and forcing up the cost of goods even further," Dickinson said.
"The biggest risk comes from policies such as the incoming border checks and reforms to packaging recycling fees."Reporting by Andy Bruce; editing by David Milliken