Prices for some household essentials are rising according to new stats about how Britain is recovering from coronavirus.
The Office for National Statistic investigated how people and businesses are responding as more shops are opened and furlough is wound down with more than 50% of people returning to work.
It found more people are now shopping for things other than basic necessities (19% rather than 13% the week before), but overall footfall remained 60% down on a year ago.
But while shop visits are the same, prices are changing.
Overall, prices for household and hygiene goods fell by 0.8% in the week ending 12 July relative to the week ending 5 July, while prices for food rose by 0.5%.
And six household essentials saw their prices rise:
- Long-life milk - 2.8% more expensive
- Pasta sauce - 1.2% more expensive
- Pet food - 0.3% more expensive
- Cough and cold - 0.3% more expensive
- Antibacterial wipes - 0.3% more expensive
- Tinned soup - 0.2% more expensive
"Prices for all food items have increased for the first time since the week commencing 18 May, driven by an increase in the price of long-life milk," the ONS said in a statement.
However, not everything is as it might seem at first.
"This is explained by one retailer returning long-life milk to its normal price from a sale in the week commencing 15 June," the ONS added.
And, while six things are rising in price, far more are dropping.
The ONS reported 11 items were getting cheaper, with another six seeing no change in their cost.
Essential items getting cheaper:
- Kitchen rolls - 2.5% cheaper
- Spray cleaning - 1.7% cheaper
- Tissues - 1.5% cheaper
- Nappies - 1.4% cheaper
- Handwash - 1% cheaper
- Dried pasta - 0.4% cheaper
- Toilet rolls - 0.3% cheaper
- Anti-immflamatory medication - 0.2% cheaper
- Tinned beans - 0.2% cheaper
- Hand sanitiser - 0.2% cheaper
- Baby food - 0.1% cheaper
The new figures come as the ONS also reports a staggering 650,000 drop in the number of people employed on payrolls and a more than doubling of those claiming benefits.
It also highlighted the regions and industries worst hit by the virus so far.
Worse could be to come too, with one business in three saying it plans to lay off staff in the next three months.
