SUPERMARKET prices have risen by up to 10 per cent over the past month as shoppers stockpile due to the coronavirus lockdown.
Households have been largely confined to their homes since March 23, and are only allowed to leave once a day for exercise, to go to the supermarket, or to go to work if they can't do their job from home.
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But it's seen shelves stripped of food as people stockpile essentials.
Supermarkets had to ration purchases for the first time since World War II – although most of these restrictions have now been lifted.
Some supermarkets even pulled multibuy discounts in a bid to prevent shoppers from buying more than one item.
Research company Kantar says March saw the biggest month for supermarket sales ever recorded amounting to £10.8billion – that's more than at Christmas.
But prices have also rocketed at some supermarkets over the past month, according to the latest data from trade publication The Grocer, which looked at a typical basket of both own-brand and branded goods across items including bread, pasta, tea bags, and sausages.
It follows separate Office for National Statistic (ONS) data published this week, which found pasta, pet food and nappy prices have jumped by up to 8 per cent over the past month.
In terms of supermarkets as a whole, based on The Grocer's basket of goods, Morrisons shoppers fared worst with prices rising by 9.6 per cent or £7.03 from £73.51 to £80.54.
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Asda had the next largest increase with prices rising by 4.2 per cent or £3.02 from £70.63 to £73.65 – although it still had the cheapest basket overall.
It was followed by posh supermarket Waitrose, which saw prices rise by 3.4 per cent or £2.60 from £88.22 to £90.82, which was also the most expensive basket overall.
But Sainsbury's and Tesco shoppers saw prices fall ever so slightly.
At Sainsbury's price fell by 0.6 per cent or 47p from £76.73 to £76.26, while Tesco prices fell by 0.9 per cent or 74p from £78.52 to £77.78.
But it was a different story looking at prices compared to this time last year, with prices down 2.3 per cent at Asda, 2.1 per cent at Sainsbury's, and 0.9 per cent at Tesco.
The Grocer says this could indicate it's not coronavirus that's pushed prices up.
But they were up annually by 0.5 per cent at Morrisons and 2.2 per cent at Waitrose.
The Sun has reached out to all of the supermarkets that posted monthly increases and we'll update this story as soon as we get a response.
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