Shop price inflation is showing signs of normalising one year on from its peak in long-awaited relief for households, new figures show. Prices in April were 0.8% higher than a year earlier, the lowest growth since December 2021, according to the British Retail Consortium (BRC)-NielsenIQ Shop Price Index. The figure is down from 1.3% in March and below the three-month average of 1.4%. Products other than food actually entered deflation, at 0.6% lower than a year earlier, down from 0.2% inflation a month earlier, as clothing and footwear prices in particular fell where retailers ramped up promotions to encourage consumer spending. Food inflation slowed to 3.4%, its lowest growth since March 2022 and the 12th consecutive drop. Fresh food inflation slowed further, to 2.4% from 2.6% in March, driven by butter, fish and fruit prices continuing to fall due to easing input costs and intense competition between grocers. BRC chief executive Helen Dickinson said: “While consumers will welcome the lower shop price inflation, geopolitical tensions and the knock-on impact on commodity prices, like oil, pose a threat to future price stability. “Retailers will continue to do all they can to keep prices down, but Government has a role to play...