Britain’s changing shopping tastes are reflected in the national “basket” of popular goods, which is an established technique to measure inflation.
The fashion trend of wooden flooring has fallen so far out of favour in Britain that it no longer has a place in the typical “basket”. After years of rising sales, it was added to the list only just before the recession hit.
The Office for National Statistics said it has dropped hardwood flooring and created a special extra category of woolly carpet instead.
Amidst reports that alcohol consumption in the UK continues to decline, white rum has replaced champagne.
The new list includes honey which has seen sales rise after being hailed as a “superfood”. Honey has not been on the list for more than two decades.
Another nod to increased concern about healthy living was the inclusion for the first time of small pots of fresh fruit. This, said the ONS, was down to the “increasing shelf-space” in supermarkets devoted to fresh fruit. But at the same time flavoured milk also made an appearance, along with salami and prosciutto.
Takeaway coffee, such as a latte, has been struck off as has round lettuces (in favour of pre-packaged salads), gardeners’ fees and wallpaper paste.
Blueberries, clothing hire for men, and e-books are all in the “in” category.
