BOTTLED WATER REPLACES FIZZY DRINKS

To measure inflation, the UK Government’s Office for National Statistics collects 180,000 prices for 650 goods and services every month. The choice of which products go into the benchmark shopping basket offers fascinating insights into our changing lifestyles. This year still mineral water in single serve PET is replacing fizzy drinks in cans and fruit drink bottles are edging out fruit drink cartons. Cereal bars and garlic bread also come in for the first time. Other revealing changes include hair straighteners instead of hair dryers, liquid soap instead of soap bars and lip gloss instead of lipstick.