A cash and carry owner has revealed how many grocery products have more than doubled in price.

In the past week many shoppers have spoken of ordinary groceries and other products being sold at a higher price and store owners were being blamed for these rises.

Some businesses have raised their prices on some products but others say they have been attempting to keep prices as low as possible.

In invoices seen by us this week we can reveal that the prices of some popular items has doubled. And store owners are now being forced to pass these on to the customer.

The price of chilli was £8.50 (22 February) a box last month and is now being bought for £20 a box from the supplier.

Many people may have seen the price of coriander rise. This has more than doubled from £7.50 a box (22 February) to £16.

Okra was being bought by the cash and carry for £8.50 and has been raised to £18 a box.

Keralas, a vegetable popular in some households, saw one of the biggest rises. This has gone up from £14.50 (24 February) to £37 (Wednesday March 28).

Ginger was missing from many shelves in the past week and it could be explained by the huge rise in the wholesale price of the product. This has gone up from £24 to £45. This has risen again to £55 (March 26).

Lancashire Telegraph:

Aftab Hussain who has been running Kashmir Superstore for three years said, “We can’t explain these price rises to the customers. They can only see what is in the shop and don’t understand the supply chain behind it.

“If asked I do show people the bill from the wholesaler and they can see for themselves.

“I normally buy fruit and veg ever day. For instance before I was buying five boxes of ginger every two days and last week during the panic I was buying ten boxes a day.

“I had to put the price up from £3.99kg before the crisis to £6.50kg after the crisis due to the price of it going up at the wholesaler.”

“It is now being sold at £6.99kg.

“For chilli, this is £9.99 a kilo, up from £5 a kilo.”

Aftab who has been in the trade since 2013 said the government’s message that there had not been a rise in prices and no interruption in the supply chain was not entirely true for small businesses like his.

“The general public thought we had raised the prices when they came to the shop. But there was a shortage in the supply."

Lancashire Telegraph:

Aftab said supermarkets had fixed price contracts with their suppliers for a period, 

"Small stores like mine don't have that facility.

 “I would like to say to my customers that we are here to do our best and serve everyone as best we can.

“We try to keep the prices as low as much as possible but it is very difficult for us to keep prices at the same levels they were before.

“Some prices have come down on some products.

 “I really appreciate my staff and they are putting their families life at risk by continuing to come to work in the present circumstances.

“We are back to normal in terms of trade at the moment but I would urge the public don’t panic.”