Grocery price inflation edges up as shoppers lean on special offers

Supermarket prices rose again, with grocery price inflation edging up to 2.5% year-on-year, according to Worldpanel by Numerator. That compares with 2.3% in the prior month, as shoppers leaned more heavily on promotions to keep bills under control. Spending on deals over the past month increased by more than £250 million versus last year. The data also pointed to lower prices for some Halloween staples: like-for-like chocolate confectionery was 3% cheaper than a year ago, while 1.2 million households bought a pumpkin over the latest four weeks. Worldpanel said Lidl gained share, reaching 8.6%, and online sales at Ocado rose 12.4%.