The boss of Iceland has said that hard-up customers are telling his checkout staff to stop when they hit £40 before putting the rest of their shop back on the shelves.
The cost of living crisis has meant that people are having to cut down even when it comes to shopping for essentials, with many having to turn to food banks. Prices of everyday essentials have risen, with the price of a loaf of bread increasing from 89p to £1.10 and milk prices increasing "quite dramatically."
Richard Walker, Iceland's Managing Director blamed a "perfect maelstrom on inflationary pressures" and said that Rishi Sunak had "stepped up" and "pulled all the right levers," despite one North East food bank saying that the Chancellor's support package was 'not enough.' Walker added that many of the problems were global in nature, citing the Ukraine war affecting wheat and oil.
He told Sky News' Sophy Ridge on Sunday: "Everyone's feeling the pinch but certainly the harder-pressed communities are feeling it more. Generally, I think it is safe to say everyone is feeling the pinch now, it doesn't matter who you are.
"We do serve some of the poorer demographics around the country. We are hearing stories of some of our custom disappearing to food banks.
"Some customers when they are at the till asking the cashier when it amounts to 40 quid so that they can leave the rest of their shopping. The reality is there is no typical Iceland shopper, averages don't work very well because we have people who come in and spend five quid and people who come in and spend £50."
Walker added that he thinks the Government are doing a 'good job', saying: "So I think they have done plenty, actually, for the general public and hopefully it will ease the pain and the burden as we get into the autumn as inflation may peak. There is a tonne of stuff I would like him (Mr Sunak) to do for business, I don’t know how he is going to afford it or we are all going to pay for it but, I think at the moment they are doing a good job."
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