Taylor Swift and Rolling Stones vinyl triggers inflation in the UK

JAKARTA – LPs are back in the UK’s inflation boost basket for the first time in 32 years. Meanwhile hand sanitizer is no longer available due to the pandemic fading from people’s shopping habits.

The UK’s Office for Statistics said that air fryers, rice cakes and gluten-free bread will also be added to baskets to reflect changes in eating habits. Sofa beds and hot roast chicken are among the items to be removed.

The overhaul is part of an annual review of the goods and services that ONS samples, so the basket reflects rapidly changing shopping habits by replacing out-dated items.

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Quoting BNN Bloomberg, vinyl records were last used to help calculate the cost of living meter in 1992 before compact discs replaced them. The rise of vinyl has seen vinyl records beat CD sales in the UK recently, with Taylor Swift and The Rolling Stones increasing sales last year to their highest level since 1990, according to the British Vinyl Industry trade group.

(nng)