Many households have increasingly turned to cheaper products to offset soaring bills during the cost-of-living crisis. PA
Many households have increasingly turned to cheaper products to offset soaring bills during the cost-of-living crisis. PA
Many households have increasingly turned to cheaper products to offset soaring bills during the cost-of-living crisis. PA
Many households have increasingly turned to cheaper products to offset soaring bills during the cost-of-living crisis. PA

Budget and own-brand ranges 'worst hit' by UK supermarket inflation


Soraya Ebrahimi
  • English
  • Arabic

Prices of supermarket own-brand and budget products have increased more than premium and branded foods during the cost-of-living crisis, new figures show.

Which? tracked the annual inflation on tens of thousands of food and drink products across seven months at eight major supermarkets — Aldi, Asda, Lidl, Morrisons, Ocado, Sainsbury’s, Tesco and Waitrose — to find that own-brand and budget ranges have gone up by as much as 18 per cent.

During the same period, premium own-brand ranges rose by 13 per cent and branded items by 12 per cent.

Many households have increasingly turned to cheaper products to offset soaring bills during the cost-of-living crisis, with the latest Kantar figures showing own-label sales are up 11.7 per cent year on year while the cheapest value own-label lines are up 46.3 per cent.

Which? found the biggest year-on-year price increases on supermarket budget food and drink for the quarter ending October 31 were on Creamfields Soft Cheese (200g) at Tesco, up from 49p to 84p — an increase of 72 per cent — and Sainsbury’s Simply Muesli (1kg) which went from £1.20 in 2021 to £2.03 in 2022 — a 70 per cent increase.

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The 20 worst budget products for inflation across the supermarkets for the same period also included Tesco products including Hearty Food Co 2 Garlic Chicken Kievs (260g), Growers Harvest Orange Juice (3X200ml) and Rosedene Farms Small Pear Pack (550g), all soaring above 60 per cent in price over the year.

Sainsbury’s groceries also reported some of the highest inflation on budget items, such as its Hubbard’s Foodstore Sparkling and Still Waters (2L), J James & Family Fresh British Chicken Breaded Kyiv with Garlic Butter (240g) and Mary Ann’s Dairy Soft Cheese (200g), all going up in price by more than 50 per cent.

Which? findings show that the worst supermarkets for overall inflation on food and drink were Aldi (up 19.6 per cent) and Lidl (19 per cent). However, both discounters still tended to be the cheapest of the big supermarket chains.

The discounters were followed by Asda (15.2 per cent), Morrisons (14.4 per cent), Waitrose (14.2 per cent), Sainsbury’s (13.7 per cent) and Tesco (12.6 per cent). Ocado had the least inflation overall (10.3 per cent).

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“Our inflation tracker lays bare the shocking scale of soaring food and drink prices — including on budget and own-brand products,” said Sue Davies, Which? head of food policy.

“We know the big supermarkets have the ability to take action and make a real difference to people struggling through the worst cost-of-living crisis in decades.

“That’s why we’re calling on them to ensure everyone has easy access to basic, affordable food lines at a store near them, can easily compare the price of products to get the best value and that promotions are targeted at supporting people most in need.”

The biog

Full name: Aisha Abdulqader Saeed

Age: 34

Emirate: Dubai

Favourite quote: "No one has ever become poor by giving"

Tearful appearance

Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday. 

Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow. 

She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.

A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.

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Memory: 8/12GB RAM

Storage: 128/256/512GB/1TB

Platform: Android 12

Main camera: quad 12MP ultra-wide f/2.2, 108MP wide f/1.8, 10MP telephoto f/4.9, 10MP telephoto 2.4; Space Zoom up to 100x, auto HDR, expert RAW

Video: 8K@24fps, 4K@60fps, full-HD@60fps, HD@30fps, super slo-mo@960fps

Front camera: 40MP f/2.2

Battery: 5000mAh, fast wireless charging 2.0 Wireless PowerShare

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We are bringing you the inside story from the World Economic Forum's Annual Meeting in Davos, a gathering of hundreds of world leaders, top executives and billionaires.

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Intellectually curious and thought-provoking, Tonight’s Chat moves the conversation forward.

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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Power: 510hp at 9,000rpm
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Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
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UK-EU trade at a glance

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Co-operation on security initiatives and procurement of defence products

Youth experience scheme to work, study or volunteer in UK and EU countries

Smoother border management with use of e-gates

Cutting red tape on import and export of food

The specs
  • Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
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  • Torque: 760nm
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Specs

Engine: 51.5kW electric motor

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Torque: 175Nm

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Company name: Play:Date

Launched: March 2017 on UAE Mother’s Day

Founder: Shamim Kassibawi

Based: Dubai with operations in the UAE and US

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Size: 20 employees

Stage of funding: Seed

Investors: Three founders (two silent co-founders) and one venture capital fund

The specs

AT4 Ultimate, as tested

Engine: 6.2-litre V8

Power: 420hp

Torque: 623Nm

Transmission: 10-speed automatic

Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)

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If you go

Flight connections to Ulaanbaatar are available through a variety of hubs, including Seoul and Beijing, with airlines including Mongolian Airlines and Korean Air. While some nationalities, such as Americans, don’t need a tourist visa for Mongolia, others, including UAE citizens, can obtain a visa on arrival, while others including UK citizens, need to obtain a visa in advance. Contact the Mongolian Embassy in the UAE for more information.

Nomadic Road offers expedition-style trips to Mongolia in January and August, and other destinations during most other months. Its nine-day August 2020 Mongolia trip will cost from $5,250 per person based on two sharing, including airport transfers, two nights’ hotel accommodation in Ulaanbaatar, vehicle rental, fuel, third party vehicle liability insurance, the services of a guide and support team, accommodation, food and entrance fees; nomadicroad.com

A fully guided three-day, two-night itinerary at Three Camel Lodge costs from $2,420 per person based on two sharing, including airport transfers, accommodation, meals and excursions including the Yol Valley and Flaming Cliffs. A return internal flight from Ulaanbaatar to Dalanzadgad costs $300 per person and the flight takes 90 minutes each way; threecamellodge.com

Global Fungi Facts

• Scientists estimate there could be as many as 3 million fungal species globally
• Only about 160,000 have been officially described leaving around 90% undiscovered
• Fungi account for roughly 90% of Earth's unknown biodiversity
• Forest fungi help tackle climate change, absorbing up to 36% of global fossil fuel emissions annually and storing around 5 billion tonnes of carbon in the planet's topsoil

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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The specs: Audi e-tron

Price, base: From Dh325,000 (estimate)

Engine: Twin electric motors and 95kWh battery pack

Transmission: Single-speed auto

Power: 408hp

Torque: 664Nm

Range: 400 kilometres

How much of your income do you need to save?

The more you save, the sooner you can retire. Tuan Phan, a board member of SimplyFI.com, says if you save just 5 per cent of your salary, you can expect to work for another 66 years before you are able to retire without too large a drop in income.

In other words, you will not save enough to retire comfortably. If you save 15 per cent, you can forward to another 43 working years. Up that to 40 per cent of your income, and your remaining working life drops to just 22 years. (see table)

Obviously, this is only a rough guide. How much you save will depend on variables, not least your salary and how much you already have in your pension pot. But it shows what you need to do to achieve financial independence.

 

Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
  • Priority access to new homes from participating developers
  • Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
  • Flexible payment plans from developers
  • Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
  • DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
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The Details

Article 15
Produced by: Carnival Cinemas, Zee Studios
Directed by: Anubhav Sinha
Starring: Ayushmann Khurrana, Kumud Mishra, Manoj Pahwa, Sayani Gupta, Zeeshan Ayyub
Our rating: 4/5 

The specs

Engine: Turbocharged four-cylinder 2.7-litre

Power: 325hp

Torque: 500Nm

Transmission: 10-speed automatic

Price: From Dh189,700

On sale: now

Updated: December 07, 2022, 12:01 AM`