From Times Online
March 15, 2010

Lipgloss trounces lipstick in shoppers review

Grainne Gilmore, Economics Correspondent

British shoppers now prefer lipgloss to lipstick and hair-straighteners to dryers but a spell down the squash court is distinctly passé, according to an annual review of the goods used to calculate the cost of living in the UK.

In a snapshot of Britons' spending habits, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) has re-jigged the "basket of goods" it tracks to work out CPI inflation, the Bank of England’s preferred measure, and the RPI gauge, which includes rent and mortgage costs.

The ONS collects about 180,000 prices every month for a basket of about 650 goods and services, the most comprehensive survey of its kind in the UK.

As well as slicker beauty products, Britons are becoming healthier — cans of fizzy drinks have been excluded from the inflation calculations to be replaced by bottles of mineral water.

A renewed focus on health has also prompted the addition of allergy tablets to the basket due to "improved coverage in the area of minor ailment remedies".

But there is also a hint that that comfort food has made a comeback during the recession as the Eighties favourite garlic bread replaces pitta bread.

While fish fingers are already in the basket, the ONS has also added frozen fish in breadcrumbs or batter, signalling that this is now a more popular choice for shoppers in the supermarket.

The ONS also said that liquid soap, as opposed to the hard variety, is now more representative of Briton’s shopping habits.

There was a further sign of families' fondness for technology as Blu-ray disc players were added to the basket, along with computer consoles, made by the likes of Nintendo, which have an accessory, including Guitar Hero or Wii Fit.

The increased use of digital cameras has led to the removal of disposable models from the basket, while charges for eye tests have also been withdrawn.

The ONS has also said that the cost of hiring a squash court, which it has monitored in previous years, is now not as relevant as other sporting costs, such as the price of a game of ten pin bowling or admission to horse racing events.

The ONS also announced a shake-up in the way it measures the cost of mortgages when calculating RPI inflation — which is often used by employers as a gauge for pay deals.

Page 1 of 2