Costs, not rip offs, driving food prices

IT’S the cost of doing business, stupid, and not rip offs by the retail sector that’s driving up the cost of food.

So concludes a detailed study into the independent retail sector involving Musgraves and BWG.

Carried out by consultants Tansey, Webster, Stewart, the report found increasing wage costs, insurance, transport, local authority costs, more expensive regulation and other factors have led to costs to industry rising by more than 50% over the period 1999 to 2002.