Shop prices continue to fall in February
Shop prices declined for the 22nd consecutive month in February driven mainly by falling prices of non-food items such as clothing and furniture.
Figures released by the British Retail Consortium and Nielsen in their monthly index show that shop price deflation accelerated to 1.7% in February, after reporting deflation of 1.3% in January.
Food prices fell for the second month in a row, edging down 0.4% in February from a 0.5% fall in January.
The BRC said fresh food fell to its lowest level on record with milk, cheese, eggs, vegetables and convenience food all cheaper than they were a year ago.
Meanwhile, non-food deflation accelerated to 2.5% in February from 1.8% in January.
BRC director general Helen Dickinson said: “Those shoppers enjoying the January sales could continue into February with great bargains on the high street, especially for clothing. It was also worth a visit to the local DIY store or updating some house furniture with good promotions found in both categories.”
