Britain’s changing basket of goods is a historical treasure trove – leader comment
The basket of goods used to calculate inflation is closer to an articulated lorry, given the hundreds of items it contains.
And such a detailed inventory of commonly bought products offers a fascinating insight into what life was like over the years, all available at the Office for National Statistics’s website.
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Hide AdThe 1947 basket included mutton and rabbit, canned plums and condensed milk among the food entries, along with a Derby tweed hat, a rubber roller table mangle and a “Gramophone record”.
By 1987, we were perhaps a little bit fancier in our tastes, with sirloin on the menu – in 1947 there was just a general listing for beef – along with Swiss roll, tinned ravioli and “imported Brie”. Entertainment technology had also advanced to include a “personal cassette player”, “music centre” and “VHS recorder”.
Additions this year’s basket include reusable bottles and mugs as people try to avoid single-use plastic, but also products that may signal a bit less virtue, such as cocktails in a can and self-tanning products.
Perhaps, for some, a certain bright orange president is the epitome of modern-day style.