Shoppers feel the pinch as prices rise

ECONOMISTS and statisticians have been telling us food prices are rising and now a trolley of basic items from a standard shop reveals just how much.

A comparison of prices from last Thursday with an identical shopping list a year ago shows an overall increase of 9.5% at Dunnes Stores, while essentials like bread, milk, butter, cheese and tea have all increased by between 14% and 30%.

That’s far more than the 5% general inflation rate and much more than the average welfare recipient or PAYE worker can hope to see their income rise by this year.