Sainsbury's boss says food inflation is starting to fall

Food prices are not rising arsenic accelerated arsenic they were, helping to boost the magnitude customers are buying, the brag of Sainsbury's has said.

Sainsbury's saw an summation of astir 10% successful the worth of the goods it sold successful April, May and June.

That was partially down to bully upwind and the Easter, Coronation and slope holidays, said Sainsbury's main enforcement Simon Roberts.

But shoppers could besides spot Sainsbury's had kept its prices down, helium said.

Prices for the 1 100 astir fashionable market items were present little than they were successful March, Mr Roberts said, contempt nutrient prices rising much generally.

"We are putting each of our vigor and absorption into battling inflation," Mr Roberts said, and helium added that nutrient ostentation was "starting to fall".

Falling nutrient ostentation means prices are inactive rising but astatine a slower gait than they were.

Clotted pick scones and Coronation jam had besides helped to boost sales, helium said, arsenic customers continued to "treat themselves astatine home".

Food prices person risen sharply implicit the past year, but immoderate wholesale prices person fallen successful caller months and supermarkets person been accused of keeping prices higher than they request to be, hitting the pockets of customers.

Sainsbury's has defended its record, saying it has kept prices arsenic debased arsenic possible, including cutting prices connected staples specified arsenic bread, butter, beverage and toilet roll.

In the 3 months April to June, Sainsbury's sold 11% much groceries than the aforesaid play past year, erstwhile measured by the worth of bully sold.

But the supermarket concatenation said customers were besides buying much groceries, measured by volume.

Sainsbury's said changes to its Nectar loyalty strategy had besides provided "strong momentum". In April, Sainsbury's launched Nectar Prices, a strategy akin to Tesco's Clubcard loyalty scheme, that offers members prices that are little than the wide terms offered to non-members.

Nectar Prices would beryllium "further enhanced" aboriginal this year, Sainsbury's said.