Food inflation starting to fall, says Sainsbury’s as sales rise

Sainsbury’s said grocery sales jumped 11% while general merchandise such as household goods grew by 4%. Photograph: Toby Melville/Reuters

Food inflation is starting to fall, according to the boss of Sainsbury’s, who said shoppers were putting more items in their baskets as it began to cut prices on some basics.

Simon Roberts, the chief executive, said the supermarket was “putting all our energy and focus into battling inflation” as household budgets were “under more pressure than ever”.