Could your food shop actually get cheaper?

Could the cost of your weekly shop really fall? It sounds unlikely right now, but there might be a bit of genuinely good news.

Amid all the cost-of-living gloom, Chancellor Rachel Reeves has announced plans to suspend tariffs on selected food and drink imports. The idea is to make it cheaper to bring certain goods into the UK, and, hopefully, cheaper for you to buy them at the supermarket.

So, what’s actually changing?

After talks with major supermarkets like Tesco and Sainsbury's, the government is stepping in to try to ease pressure on food prices, especially with concerns that global tensions could push costs even higher.

The plan includes:

• suspending tariffs on everyday items like pasta, oranges and fruit juices
• covering more than £2bn worth of imports
• keeping these tariffs at 0% until the end of 2028

In short, some of the food you buy could become cheaper to import, and that might mean lower prices for everyone in the shops.

What’s a tariff?

A tariff is basically a tax on goods coming into the country. Businesses usually pass that cost on to you at the checkout.

Right now, some of these tariffs range from 2% to as much as 50%. Cutting them to zero could make a noticeable difference, if the savings are passed on.

Will you actually see cheaper prices?

Any potential price reduction may not be immediate and depends on businesses passing the saving on to customers.

Retailers decide whether to pass savings on, so while prices could fall, it may take time, and it may vary depending on where you shop.

That said, with warnings from the Food and Drink Federation that food inflation could hit 9% by the end of 2026, any downward pressure is welcome news.

In the meantime, here’s how you can keep your food shop down.

Even if prices don’t drop overnight, there’s still plenty you can do to stay in control of your spending.

Shop around

If you always go to the same supermarket, it might be costing you. A quick comparison could save you more than you think.

Know your numbers

A simple household budget helps you see exactly what you can afford, and where you might trim back.

Go in with a plan

Write a list before you shop, and stick to it. It’s one of the easiest ways to avoid overspending.

Buy smart basics

Stock up on flexible, low-cost ingredients like rice or frozen veg. You can turn them into loads of different meals.

Don’t get caught out by labels

‘Best before’ doesn’t mean ‘bin it.’ Understanding food labels can stop you throwing away perfectly good food, and money.

Swap and save

If something’s suddenly more pricey, ditch it. You don’t need a premium pasta sauce to make a great meal, tinned tomatoes can do the job just fine.

While your food shop probably won’t plummet overnight, it could it edge down, or at least rise more slowly?

Check our regular money saving tips

Check back here regularly for our round-ups of standout deals and low-cost recipes that can save you money in the supermarket.

We’ve also got more tips on how you can keep the cost of your food shop down.