Pandemic essentials: Hand gel, dumbbells and loungewear enjoy consumer boost
Hand gel, dumbbells and men’s loungewear bottoms are among the latest post-pandemic additions to Britain’s official consumer price index this month, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said today.
Consumer habits have transformed throughout the pandemic, reflected in data from ONS which has, unsurprisingly, revealed a rise in casual clothing, home exercise equipment and travel-sized hygiene products.
“The need for hygiene on the go has seen the addition of hand sanitiser, now a staple item for many of us,” head of economic statistics and ONS, Sam Beckett, said.
“A more casual approach to clothing, as more of us work from home, has seen the addition of loungewear into the consumer basket.”
Sweatshirts for women will also join the index, in the casual clothing bracket, where ONS collects prices to observe the UK’s consumer trends.
Smart watches, internet controlled light bulbs and electric hybrid cars are also set to join the price index – signalling a heavier push towards tech and a more environmental mindset among consumers, since the pandemic began.
As the pandemic has forced shut canteens across the country, white milk chocolate and sandwiches purchased in cafeterias will disappear from the index.
The pandemic drove a sharp drop in inflation in the UK, which swung to 0.2 per cent in August, but now sits at 0.7 per cent.
The Bank of England has forecast a return to two per cent by the end of the year.