Shoppers are facing steeper bills this September, with shop price inflation climbing to 1.4%, up from 0.9% in August, according to the latest figures from the British Retail Consortium (BRC)
and NIQ.
The rise wasn’t driven by food—where inflation held steady at 4.2%—but by non-food goods, which have started to edge up in price after a long stretch of falling costs. A year ago, non-food items were slightly cheaper, but the recent uptick marks a turning point.
Sectors like DIY and gardening have seen prices creep higher, while back-to-school deals kept some categories—such as laptops—more affordable thanks to retailer promotions.
Food inflation may have paused its seven-month climb, but farmers are still under strain. Rising labour and energy costs are keeping essentials like dairy and beef expensive, the BRC warned.
BRC chief executive Helen Dickinson explained:
“After 18 months of non-food deflation, we’re now seeing inflationary pressures spill beyond food. Global challenges, alongside higher national insurance and wage costs, are filtering through to shop prices. With a new packaging tax arriving in October, prices could climb even further.”
She added that while retailers are doing their best to shield customers from the full brunt of higher costs, further tax increases in the Chancellor’s upcoming budget could keep prices elevated for longer—leaving households to shoulder the impact.
