In early April, retailers underscored to the Chancellor that government measures could shield families from rising prices.

The report frames government action as a political choice to stop cost increases from reaching consumers, urging ministers to act before the window closes.

Retailers have already pressed Chancellor R. Reeves to pursue policy changes that would prevent price hikes for households, arguing government action could help keep costs down as the window to act narrows.

The British Retail Consortium warns that the Middle East conflict is driving up costs for retailers across energy, shipping, fertiliser, manufacturing, and logistics, and it urges the government to cut domestic costs to keep prices down for shoppers.

Anticipated regulatory burdens include guaranteed hours under the Employment Rights Act and reformulation of thousands of food lines under a nutrient profiling model.

Domestic policy costs are a major burden, with £6.5 billion in extra employment costs from rising national insurance and the national living wage, and £1.6 billion from a new packaging tax.

Retailers met with the Chancellor and urged removal of energy policy levies, network charges, and system fees from electricity bills, along with delaying the updated nutrient profiling model and reviewing the triple packaging levy (projected to cost more than £2 billion annually).

Retailers called on the Government to cut domestic costs to keep prices down, specifically targeting the removal of energy policy levies, network charges, and system fees from electricity bills, and to delay the updated nutrient profiling model and review the triple packaging levy (over £2 billion a year in cost).

They also asked for delaying the updated nutrient profiling model and reviewing the triple packaging levy, which is projected to cost over £2 billion annually.