Every year we re-run the original shopping list on one occasion, and the fifth repeat showed the see-sawing changes. Back in 1997 Ariel Automatic was £2.49 a pack. Now it ranges between £2.38 and £2.99, and it has lost weight ­ 1.1kg instead of 1.3kg five years ago. Some prices have even reverted back to their 1997 levels such as cans of own label baked beans which are 23p again. Milk is now back to 28p on average. And two price increases in 2001 helped push Hovis wholemeal back to 1997 levels. Flora 250g was 52p in 1997 and today is still that in Morrisons, while prices in the other stores have risen between 4p and 13p. The cost of this week's average full basket was £38.24 ­ the second highest basket price in five years only to 1998's hefty £38.79, and an increase of £1.05 on the same period last year. {{GROCER 33 }}

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