Veggie bangers and pet collars added to UK inflation basket
Vegetarian sausages, canned chickpeas and frozen Yorkshire puddings have all been added to the ‘shopping basket’ used to calculate the UK’s inflation rate, with the traditional business suit ditched.
Pet collars, casual clothing, women’s sports bras and crop tops and anti-bacterial wipes have also been added, while takeaway doughnuts and men’s formal two-piece suits are dropped from the list, which is compiled by the Office of National Statistics (ONS).
The biggest changes to the inflation basket for 2022 are food related, with more people choosing vegan and vegetarian options for their home cooking.
The single doughnut is de-listed because British consumers have switched to buying multipacks of cakes and pastries to consume at home, rather than individual bakery items to eat while out.
Clothing choices have also changed. The ONS’s head of economic statistics, Sam Beckett, said: “With many people still working from home, demand for more formal clothing has continued to decrease.” He said the clothing changes reflect new spending on sportswear, while men’s suits to be replaced by jackets or blazers, which are more widely stocked.
Collars for dogs and cats have been added, reflecting wider pet ownership that started during the pandemic.
Consumer price inflation in Britain is calculated using a basket of more than 700 goods and services that are changed each year to try to keep up with new spending patterns. The ONS said it will include a far wider range of prices from supermarket tills from 2024.