THE cost of an average Christmas dinner has jumped by more than inflation amid soaring prices of turkey and vegetables, industry figures show.
The price of an average festive lunch for four has increased to £32.57, up by 6.5% compared to last year, analysis by Kantar shows.
The graph shows how much a Christmas dinner has gone up by[/caption]
Potatoes have had the biggest rise, with the humble spud 16.2 per cent higher than last year at £1.65.
The price of cauliflower is 14.6% more expensive at £1.18 than last year, followed by 71p parsnips, which are 12.7% higher and carrots at 49p, which are 11.4% dearer than last year.
The average frozen turkey is 8.5% more expensive than last year at £13.08, the Kantar analysis shows.
There is some good news though as the average price of sparkling wine remains unchanged at £6.40, the only part of a festive meal that hasn’t increased compared to last year.
Vegetable prices have been particularly hit by wet weather earlier this year which waterlogged fields and affected harvests.
Potato farmers have been particularly hard hit by bad weather, which delayed planting crops and harvesting, and rising energy costs.
Once potatoes are harvested they are often kept in a cold store, which work like giant fridges, and requires a lot of electricity to keep running.
Supermarkets have made “festive veg” promotions a big part of their price wars with rivals in the annual battle to win Christmas shoppers.
Industry sources say grocers are likely to repeat their cut-price offers on vegetables, such as 15p bags of carrots, this year.
The festive promotions typically launch the week before Christmas with most supermarkets beginning to sell fresh turkeys on December 19.
Grocers are expected to use their loyalty cards, such as Tesco Clubcard, Sainsbury’s Nectar and Morrisons More card, to offer shoppers lower prices.
Supermarkets are expected to rake in a record £13billion over the festive period this year.
Experts at Kantar warn that Monday, December 23 will be the busiest shopping day in supermarkets, with big queues at the tills to be expected.
Fraser McKevitt, head of retail and consumer insight at Kantar, said Monday December 23 is “likely to be the single busiest day for the supermarkets this year”.
“Sales of assorted sweet biscuits and biscuits for cheese both doubled in November compared with the month before, while 8% of us bought a Christmas pudding.”
HOW TO SHOP AROUND FOR THE BEST BARGAIN
When hunting for a deal it is important to shop around to make sure you are not being overcharged.
There are plenty of comparison websites out there that’ll check prices for you – so don’t be left paying more than you have to.
Most of them work by comparing the prices across hundreds of retailers.
For example, Google Shopping is a tool that lets users search for and compare prices for products across the web. Simply type in keywords, or a product number, to bring up search results.
Price Spy also logs the history of how much something costs from over 3,000 different retailers, including Argos, Amazon, eBay and the supermarkets.
Once you select an individual product you can quickly compare which stores have the best price and which have it in stock.
How to save money on Christmas shopping
Consumer reporter Sam Walker reveals how you can save money on your Christmas shopping.
Limit the amount of presents – buying presents for all your family and friends can cost a bomb.
Instead, why not organise a Secret Santa between your inner circles so you’re not having to buy multiple presents.
Plan ahead – if you’ve got the stamina and budget, it’s worth buying your Christmas presents for the following year in the January sales.
Make sure you shop around for the best deals by using price comparison sites so you’re not forking out more than you should though.
Buy in Boxing Day sales – some retailers start their main Christmas sales early so you can actually snap up a bargain before December 25.
Delivery may cost you a bit more, but it can be worth it if the savings are decent.
Shop via outlet stores – you can save loads of money shopping via outlet stores like Amazon Warehouse or Office Offcuts.
They work by selling returned or slightly damaged products at a discounted rate, but usually any wear and tear is minor.
