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  On 07/01/2025 at 17:28, Sephiroth said:

Now it's true that inflation is impacting countries everywhere - but guess what's making things worse in UK

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The disastrous decision by Rachel Theives  to increase employer NI thereby pushing up costs to businesses resulting in higher prices is my guess 

Well we were either taxed more or the money had to come from somewhere else ... Either way we would have less money to spend but the former was preferable.  Expect the market will adjust, hopefully sooner rather than later.  Reducing the amount of unprocessed food would be a great start both for our pocket and our wellbeing 

  On 08/01/2025 at 09:45, Spartacus said:

The disastrous decision by Rachel Theives  to increase employer NI thereby pushing up costs to businesses resulting in higher prices is my guess 

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you would be wrong - price differentials like this predate current labour government

(labour NI increase also doesn't come close to many European countries in terms of cost overhead)

 

what is with people in this country refusing to countenance the damage Brexit continues to do

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Just remembered that we paid a lot more for our CDs compared to Europe.  Government investigated, the industry said we had higher quality product.  Then that argument collapsed and we got parity.  Now we are outside the trading bloc we don't have these competitive pressures.  I think we were told that Brexit would make things cheaper.  Do you have an answer Farage, Gove and Johnson?  The first will blame the others, the others have their well paid careers, so don't care 

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  On 08/01/2025 at 10:18, malumbu said:

Well we were either taxed more or the money had to come from somewhere else ... Either way we would have less money to spend but the former was preferable.  Expect the market will adjust, hopefully sooner rather than later.  Reducing the amount of unprocessed food would be a great start both for our pocket and our wellbeing 

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The better choice would have been to raise employee NI back to the pre cut level thereby taxing those who work and can afford it without pushing up prices for everyone. But stupidly "there will be no tax increase on working people" which is why it's disastrous in my mind. 

And the Sainsbury’s own brand chocolate mini rolls have gone from £1.15 to £1.40 overnight, so 22%-ish.

I prefer them them to the Cadbury original because they have a lot more chocolate on them, presumably because they’re made in a less advanced factory. I would think that getting the Rizla thin coating of chocolate that Cadbury’s accountants demand onto a piece of sponge is quite a sophisticated operation. Discuss.

That’s another big hike on the Sainsbury’s mini rolls! I spoke to one of the managers on the day of the anchovies price rise but all he could say was that his store doesn’t set the prices. Very vague and not helpful.

i started this thread about price rises in  Sainsbury’s and it’s somehow being blamed on Brexit etc! 

What is also happening - I don't know about Sainsbury's as I no longer shop there, but certainly in other supermarkets and with some manufacturers - is that products remain the same price but the quality or quantity is reduced.

Just one example: I buy Waitrose Essential tissues, only because they have plain boxes with no branding once they are in use, and I like the colours (blue for the large ones and mauve  for the smaller ones).

The tissues in the mauve box have recently become so thin that they disintegrate virtually immediately you use them.

Same with Cushelle quilted toilet rolls. Well, they don't disintegrate, which would be revolting, but they have also got so thin that it's hardly worth buying the quilted ones.

And as for  PG Tips ...... 🤬

I've found quite a few independent shops in the wider area selling quite a few of my usual grocery items much more cheaply - the international supermarkets on Catford Broadway in particular are great. Branded things like Lavazza Rosso coffee, Oatly oat milk, Lurpak butter, Heinz tinned goods - all up to 20% cheaper than Sainsbury's. Plus the bonus while you're there of a huge range of good value dried spices, decent quality fruit and vegetables, meze dishes etc. I acknowledge it doesn't have the convenience of just doing The Big Shop at Sains once a week if you're time poor - though I really enjoy getting on my bicycle or going out for a wander of an early morning, seeing the sights of places I don't go often, and doing my errands at the same time.

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