Supermarket items experiencing the most significant price hikes have been identified in a recent study by Which?. Fish prices surged by 9.7% year-on-year in May, followed by a 5.9% increase in energy drinks. However, prices for butters, spreads, and chocolate decreased by 0.8%.
Which? reported a slowdown in food price inflation, with supermarket food and drink inflation dropping to 3.1% in the three months ending May 2026, down from 4.1% in February. Monthly food inflation also decreased to 2.4% in May.
Waitrose recorded the highest inflation at 3.8% annually in May, while Aldi had the lowest at 0.8%. Waitrose stated that they have invested over £20 million in reducing prices while maintaining quality standards.
The inflation tracker by Which? covers 25,000 items, not accessible to supermarkets. Own-label budget groceries faced a 4% inflation rate, while branded groceries saw a milder increase at 2.2%.
Separate research by Worldpanel by Numerator revealed that UK grocery inflation eased to 3.1% for the four weeks ending May 17, 2026, down from 3.8% in April. ONS data showed a 3% rise in food and non-alcoholic beverage prices in the 12 months up to April 2026.
Reena Sewraz, Which? Retail Editor, mentioned that while food price inflation seems to be slowing down, shoppers are still feeling the impact of rising costs. She highlighted the disparity in inflation rates among supermarkets and encouraged shoppers to compare prices to maximize savings.
Andrew Opie, Director of Food & Sustainability at the British Retail Consortium, emphasized the efforts of retailers to provide value amid challenges like energy and commodity cost hikes and government policies.
Aldi emerged as the most economical supermarket overall, indicating that savvy shoppers who compare prices can make their budget stretch further.
