Shortages of fruit and vegetables helped push UK food inflation to a record high in March, according to the latest industry data, suggesting there was little sign of any let up on households struggling with the cost of living crisis (The Financial Times £).
Food price inflation has risen by 15% in a year, causing prices in Britain’s shops to climb faster than ever before (The Times £).
A surge in the cost of sugar on global commodity markets is being blamed for a rise in the price of chocolate eggs and hot cross buns ahead of celebrations over the Easter weekend (The Guardian).
The prices of chocolate, sweets and fizzy drinks have shot up ahead of the Easter holidays, as the cost of food continues to rise at a record rate (BBC News).
The Times (£) writes in a business editorial that John Lewis should not be undersold by Sharon White. “Even if John Lewis managed to bring in a minority owner, the risk, on present form, is that it wastes the money and ends up wrecking the partnership,” the paper says. “White’s focus should be on proving she can run the business – not shopping for a new investor.”
Retailers are becoming more optimistic about their near-term trading outlook after a “challenging winter”. For the first time since last September, a majority expect their sales to rise over the next month, according to the latest distributive trends survey from the CBI (The Times £).
US rapid delivery company Gopuff has turned to rivals Uber and DoorDash to deliver some of its orders, as it becomes the latest group to be hit by a fall in demand following the sector’s lockdown-driven boom (The Financial Times £).
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