Since the start of the pandemic, shoppers in the UK have been spending more on casual clothing and pet accessories and less on formalwear and individual cakes.
These and other recent changes in consumer spending are reflected in the latest update to the “basket of goods” used to calculate inflation.
The virtual basket of more than 700 items is designed to be representative of items that consumers typically spend their money on.
With the rise of homeworking, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) has taken out men’s two-piece suits in favour of smart jackets or blazers, and removed single doughnuts in favour of multipacks.
It has also added sports bras and crop tops to account for an increase in the number of people exercising, and with the growing adoption of vegan and vegetarian diets the basket now includes canned beans, chickpeas and lentils, as well as meat-free sausages.
Continued high demand for cleaning products has led to the addition of antibacterial surface wipes, and dog and cat collars have been added to reflect the increase in pet ownership during the pandemic.
Sam Beckett, ONS head of economic statistics, said the latest shake-up showed “the impact of the pandemic still evident in our shopping habits”.
Overall, 19 items have been added and 15 were removed.
The ONS collects around 180,000 price quotations for consumer goods and services every month to keep track of changes in the cost of living.
