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Rosé wine, hot rotisserie chicken, MP4 players and Blu-ray discs have been added to the basket of goods and services used to calculate the official inflation rate in the UK.
Internet-based DVD subscriptions also joined the inflation basket today, while three-litre wine boxes, MP3 players and DVD rentals from shops have been removed, as part of an annual review carried out by the Office for National Statistics to reflect changes in lifestyle.
Rotisserie chicken is included for the first time to represent a growing trend for hot takeaway food from supermarkets.
Rosé wine has also become more popular and to make space for this new addition to the basket, the traditional wine box, first introduced in 2006, has been dropped.
The ONS collects about 120,000 prices every month for a basket of about 650 goods and services. Changes in the prices of the items are used to compile the two main measures of inflation: the consumer prices index targeted by the Bank of England, and the retail prices index, on which pensions, benefits and many pay deals are based.
The large party size bottle of cider has been removed from the basket to make space for smaller bottles. And to reflect the increasing trend towards free-range eggs, large eggs have been replaced by large free-range eggs.
MP4 players – which play video as well as audio – have become increasingly popular and replace MP3 players in the basket. The ONS said it had also added the Freeview TV receiver box to reflect the rise in spending associated with the digital TV switchover.
Also reflecting trends in new technology, Blu-ray discs – higher-definition DVDs – have joined the basket.
In the furnishings category, fewer changes have been made. Hardwood flooring has been added to the basket to supplement laminate flooring, reflecting increased spending on non-carpet floor coverings.
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