Heinz Ketchup Tops Inflation List As U.K. Shoppers Feel The Squeeze

Heinz Tomato Ketchup has topped a tracker from consumer watchdog Which! as the biggest price gainer in the U.K. among popular branded goods.

As hard-pressed British shoppers face the triple whammy of soaring inflation, energy price hikes and the ongoing impact of Brexit on availability and prices, the study revealed that the 460g top-down bottle of Heinz Tomato Ketchup saw the biggest average percentage increase overall.

It increased by 53% ($1.08) across six major supermarkets over a two-year period.

The price of some of the most popular branded food products have soared by as much as 107% in the last two years, according to the latest research from Which?.

The top 10 risers

Heinz tomato ketchup sauce – top-down 460g 53%

Dolmio lasagne sauce 470g 47%

Heinz classic cream of chicken soup 400g 46%

Dolmio bolognese original pasta sauce 500g 46%

Anchor spreadable butter tub 500g 45%

Heinz cream of tomato soup 400g 44%

Colman’s classic mint sauce 165g 44%

Colman’s horseradish sauce 136g 44%

Batchelors super noodles BBQ beef flavour 90g 43%

Hovis granary wholemeal 800g 43%

The consumer champion tracked 79 branded products in all for its survey, comparing the prices at major grocery groups Asda, Morrisons, Ocado, Sainsbury’s, Tesco and Waitrose over a 30-day period from September 21 to October 20 in both 2020 and 2022.

The data revealed that the cost of some of Britain’s favorite branded products has risen significantly more sharply than overall grocery inflation, with the pace of price rises for essential groceries hitting a new record high.

The research also comes just four months after Heinz products were temporarily taken off the shelves of Tesco, the U.K.’s biggest supermarket chain, in a dispute over price increases. Heinz was reported to have been seeking cost price rises of as much as 30% in the summer.

Brands Exceed Grocery Inflation

Grocery inflation was running at 13.9% over the 12 weeks to October 2, meaning that the average annual household bill was $765 more expensive, Kantar Worldpanel data showed. And it is likely some time before inflation cools.

Rising food prices have been a major factor behind recent upwards pressure on the consumer prices index (CPI) measure of inflation – currently standing at 9.9% – with rising energy bills, caused by Russia’s war in Ukraine, the main component behind surging costs across the U.K. economy this year.

Kantar’s report showed that the products which continued to see the highest price increases were milk, dog food and margarine, while leading supermarket groups have reported stronger demand for cheaper and own label brands.

Which? head of food policy Sue Davies said: “Our research shows the shocking rate of inflation on some of the nation’s favourite branded foods, which is much higher than the national average and highlights why it is so important for retailers to provide people with a choice of product ranges.

“Supermarkets must ensure budget lines for healthy and affordable essential items are widely available across their stores including smaller convenience stores.

“Promotions should be targeted at those most in need and people supported so they can easily compare products to get the best value.”

Which? recently called for the major grocery companies to do more to support shoppers through the cost-of-living crisis as it highlighted the U.K.’s most at-risk areas for access to affordable groceries.