UK shop price inflation increased 1.2% year-on-year in May 2026, up from 1.0% in April, which had marked the softest growth in four months, and surpassed market expectations of 1.1%, due to a rebound in non-food costs. The acceleration reflected mounting pressures from elevated shipping and raw material costs linked to the Middle East conflict. Non-food prices rose 0.5% year-on-year, recovering from a 0.1% decline in April, mainly driven by rising costs for furniture and beauty products. Meanwhile, food inflation eased further to its lowest level in a year, at 2.7%, down from 3.1% in April, helping to dampen the broader rise in shop inflation in May. “Households did benefit from food inflation falling to its lowest level in a year, as intense competition among supermarkets continued to deliver value and savings,” Helen Dickinson said.