Millions of squeezed families are bracing themselves for a miserable Christmas after slamming the breaks on supermarket spending.
Soaring inflation, rising costs, and widespread panic about the impact of next week's Budget, has seen shoppers balk at a pre-holiday splurge.
Karen Betts of the Food & Drink Federation blamed a perfect storm of higher taxes and government red tape for pushing up prices in the shops.
The damning indictment comes as consumer group Which? said premium own-brand food and drink has the highest rate of inflation compared with other ranges, with prices for these products up 8.6 per cent year-on-year in August. Products with the highest percentage increase include carrots, which have gone up by 107.9 per cent on average.
The final month before Christmas traditionally signals a boon for retailers - and suppliers - as customers stock up and squirrel away non-perishable treats and snacks ahead of time.
Ms Betts said: "Basket sizes tend to go up in the final quarter of the year and people tend to add on whatever it is they're stocking up with.
"What we're seeing is that where people are buying those items they tend to be within their same basket spend - so not as an add-on to a basket that they would otherwise have bought."