According to CoinMeta, prices in UK shops have risen at the fastest rate since 2024, reflecting increasing inflationary pressures. According to data from the British Retail Association ( BRC ), the annual increase in the shop price index in August reached 1.5%, higher than 0.9% in July, and the highest level since February 2024. Food price inflation soared to 2.8% in August, and non-food price inflation also jumped from 0.2% to 0.9%. Analyses point out that rising energy costs and demand for artificial intelligence chips are the main factors driving price increases, indicating that the current inflation trend may continue rather than being a one-off fluctuation.