ONS introduces supermarket scanner data to inflation measurement for first time

The Office for National Statistics has transformed how it measures inflation by incorporating supermarket scanner data into its Consumer Price Index for the first time, with the change taking effect in February 2026’s figures published on 25 March 2026.

The Scale of the Change

Scanner data now covers about 50% of the grocery market through 300 million price points collected monthly. This represents a dramatic shift from the previous system of manually collecting 25,000 prices per month from that same market segment.

The remaining half of the groceries market continues to rely on traditional manual in-store and online price collection methods. But the scanner data captures information from over a billion units of products sold monthly across supermarket checkouts and online sales platforms.

How the New System Works

The scanner data flows directly from supermarket tills and e-commerce platforms, providing real-time transaction information rather than periodic manual sampling. This methodology has been incorporated into both the Consumer Prices Index and CPIH, which includes owner occupiers’ housing costs.

Grant Fitzner, ONS chief economist, said the scanner data represents “a significant improvement in our measurement and understanding of changing prices” according to the organisation’s announcement.

The February 2026 index also introduced updated expenditure weights based on household spending data from 2024, ensuring the inflation calculations reflect current consumer behaviour patterns.

Consultation and Oversight

Changes to the methodology were developed in consultation with the Bank of England under the Statistics and Registration Services Act 2007. The ONS has been modernising its inflation measurement approach to improve both accuracy and comprehensiveness of the data.

The shift represents part of a broader move towards utilising big data sources from retail operations rather than relying solely on traditional manual collection methods.

Key Takeaways

• Scanner data from supermarket checkouts now provides 300 million price points monthly for inflation calculations
• The new system covers 50% of the grocery market, replacing 25,000 manually collected prices
• Both CPI and CPIH inflation indices now incorporate this real-time retail data

What This Means for Kent Residents

Kent households and businesses will benefit from more precise inflation data that better reflects actual price movements in supermarkets across the county. The enhanced accuracy should provide a clearer picture of cost-of-living changes affecting local families’ grocery budgets. Local councils and Kent-based businesses can now rely on inflation figures that capture real-time price fluctuations rather than periodic samples, potentially leading to more informed economic decisions that better serve residents’ needs.