The inflation has jumped in UK and shopkeepers at Cardiff are struggling to make a living.
The energy prices are soaring day by day and it has caused major price hikes, especially impacting the cost of food and drink.
With Holiday season just around the corner, people tend to buy more gifts and food for Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners but this year they might tight their pockets due to rapid rise in the cost of living. The shopkeepers are struggling to keep their business running especially since people only shop for what is needed.
Waheed Farid of Clare Foods said, “There was a saying once, if the prices of meat has gone up, buy vegetables but the price of vegetables have gone up as well, now what?”
“We ship our products from foreign retailers and it’s hard to balance the prices now. They charge us more and we can’t help but increase the price here in our store. The cost of everything has doubled, no… tripled.”
“The customers think it’s us who is trying to benefit from all of this but we have to do what we have to do,” said Waheed.
Waheed also noticed a rise in sales of instant cup noodles. He stocks up the instant cup noodles shelf four times a week.
“I think people are resorting more towards instant foods to battle the situation”, he said.
Food and beverage prices are up by 0.4 percentage points from July and the highest rate since August 2008. People are looking for ways to survive and fight the raging cost of living prices.
Igor Mazuchowski of a Polish Gorcery said, “We tried not to rise prices for a long time but it got to the point where we had to pay more so…”
“People buy less food these days. If they find cheaper products, they buy more and stock it.”
“You know my customers call me Jesus. I tell them the price and they say, ‘Oh Jesus’”, he said.
The Office for National Statistics has reported that the rise in prices for the lowest-cost grocery items is similar to the 15% rise in the official measure of inflation for food and drink.
Asia Sajide, 50, owner of a clothing store in Cardiff said, “The work is quiet now. I am struggling to make a living. I feel during this time, clothes aren’t a priority for people.”
“I will change the displays very soon and try to attract some customers with beautiful winter clothes and of course, my sale and discount boards have always worked as a charm.”