A rise in clothing, food and furniture prices pushed inflation up in the UK slightly in October, although official figures say it remains at historically low levels.
Data from the Office of National Statistics, released on Wednesday, showed that consumer prices rose 0.7 percent in October from a year earlier, after a 0.5 percent increase in the previous month.
The increase was mainly due to the prices of clothing and shoes, which had risen 2.8 percent compared to 0.9 percent in the previous year, as well as food and furnishings. However, prices for Christmas sales and in some transportation sectors such as bus fares fell.
Inflation has been falling for the past two years and has fallen even faster during the coronavirus lockdown. It hit a four-year low in August, thanks in part to the government’s Eat Out to Help Out program, which offered half-price meals in restaurants, and then rose again.
Restaurants and hotels continued to put inflation under pressure last month due to a temporary cut in VAT.