SHOP price annual inflation surged to the highest rate since November 2011 last month as Brits' worries over their grocery bills have increased.

The rate hit 1.8 per cent in February, an increase from 1.5 per cent in January, according to the British Retail Consortium (BRC).

"Food inflation remained the key driver behind higher prices, particularly for fresh food which has been impacted by poor harvests, both in the UK and globally," the BRC's Helen Dickinson added.

Anxiety over grocery bills has surged among Brits, fresh research from Ipsos has also found.

More than eight in 10 UK shoppers have started to change how they shop to cut costs this year.

Behavioural changes include moving to cheaper brands, holding off on buying non essential groceries and buying yellow stickered discount items.

Ipsos CEO Kelly Beaver told City A.M.: "We have seen public concern regarding the economy and rising inflation start to rise. It's not that people are seeing inflationary pressures yet, they're standing on the edge of the precipice and expecting to fall off - they expect prices and costs to increase.

"So we have seen them start to tell us they are making changes. The public are preparing for things to get worse."

Kantar data yesterday revealed that Aldi and Lidl were the fastest growing retailers in the three months to 20 February. Both retailers increased sales by more than three per cent.

(c) 2022 City A.M., source Newspaper