Soaring food prices so hard to swallow

GROCERY inflation has soared with the spike for the first quarter of this year the third fastest since global economic crisis of 2008.

- SEAN MURPHY

Data released yesterday revealed a 16.5% hike in the cost of a household's shopping basket.

Experts say huge price increases are evident in figures which show the volume of online sales are down 16.3% compared to last year, yet the reduced level of web purchases has cost €5.3million more year-on-year.

The figures were released by data analytics company Kantar which reported "grocery price inflation is the real driving factor" behind the higher values as opposed to increased purchasing".