LONDON, June 30 (Xinhua) -- Britain's shop price inflation stood at 1.2 percent year-on-year in June, unchanged from that in May amid retailers' summer discounting activities, data from the British Retail Consortium (BRC) showed Tuesday.
Specifically, food inflation decreased to 2.4 percent year-on-year, against a growth of 2.7 percent in May, and also below the three-month average of 2.7 percent, according to the BRC.
Non-food inflation increased to 0.6 percent year-on-year, against a growth of 0.5 percent in May. This is also above the three-month average of 0.3 percent.
Helen Dickinson, chief executive of the BRC, said while shoppers made the most of the sunshine, retailers helped keep the prices of summer treats such as strawberries and ice creams low thanks to bumper crops and strong competition. In clothing and general merchandise, retailers also responded to the hot weather with promotions across summer essentials.
However, she cautioned "while a competitive market is keeping inflation in check for now, retailers face mounting cost pressures, including higher National Insurance, the triple packaging tax and higher input costs from extreme weather and geopolitical tensions."
To support the cost of living for households, measures must be taken to reduce the costs of business, she added, noting that starting with cutting the taxes and levies on energy bills would ease pressure on retailers and help keep prices down for customers. ■
