UK food inflation rises to 2.6%, says Kantar (#1685097)

British shoppers faced increased pressure on their budgets last month after grocery price inflation rose, industry data showed on Tuesday.

Market researcher Kantar said annual grocery price inflation was 2.6% in the four weeks to December 1, after being 2.3% in the previous four-week period.

Prices are rising fastest on products such as toothbrushes, smoothies and cold juices and fragrances, and falling fastest on items including household paper products, dog food and room-temperature savory foods, Kantar said.

Among individual supermarkets, Britain's largest, Tesco, recorded a 5.2% rise in sales in the 12 weeks to December 1. It had a market share of 28.1%, the highest since December 2017.

UK supermarkets have warned that tax increases in the new Labor government's first budget in October, along with another increase in the national minimum wage, will be inflationary.

Official data released last month showed UK headline inflation jumped to 2.3% in October. November data will be published on December 18.