Britons almost certainly in charge company greed for worth hikes

Britons are most likely to blame corporate greed for price hikes, even in circumstances where other factors may be at play, survey data suggests. 

One in five Britons cited corporate greed as the largest single driver of rising retail prices, according to research firm Zero100’s analysis of 14,000 consumers spanning seven major markets. 

Out of all markets analysed, Britons were found to be the most likely to claim that businesses’ desire for ever-greater profits was driving any price spikes in shops.  

Kevin O’Marah, chief research officer at Zero100, told the Daily Mail: ‘What our data shows is that consumers are far more likely to stomach the inevitable price rises that follow if retailers clearly communicate the reasons why.’

Britain’s inflation rate has persistently run higher than other major economies since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, and the research found that consumers are feeling the pinch.

More than 90 per cent of Britons surveyed seeing price increases on regular purchases in the last six months. 

This compared with a global average of 82 per cent, making Britain the most ‘price-sensitive’ of all countries surveyed, and significantly higher than markets such as Germany, at 84 per cent, France, at 78 per cent, and China, at 72 per cent, the analysis said.  

Who is to blame? Britons are most likely to blame corporate greed for price hikes, research shows

According to Zero100, global economic conditions remained the most frequently cited reason for rising prices among shoppers.

But Britain stood out for its ‘scepticism toward large businesses’. 

The view that corporate greed should be blamed for price hikes was driven by Generation X, with 28 per cent of those aged 45 to 54 blaming corporations. This was almost twice the proportion of Generation Z consumers.

Amid price spikes for certain items or services, belt-tightening ‘is reshaping how Britain shops’, the research said.

Brand loyalty is falling by the wayside, as consumers are increasingly switching to cheaper brands and turning to discount retailers. Many are now also simply buying less altogether as everyday costs continue to bite, the findings added. 

Sixty-seven per cent of Britons surveyed said they would drop any brand that continually upped its prices. 

Thirty-five per cent said they had switched to cheaper brands while shopping this year, while 32 per cent said they were simply making fewer purchases. 

In Britain, prices rose by 3.2 per cent in the year to November, down from 3.6 per cent recorded in October. But, inflation remains above the Bank of England’s 2 per cent target.

The Bank of England shifts interest rates up and down to try to keep inflation at 2 per cent or lower. Five cuts since since August 2024 have brought rates down to 4 per cent, and a sixth is expected at the Bank’s meeting on Thursday.

Across all markets surveyed by Zero100, which also included Spain and the US, 57 per cent of people said they believed international trade wars contributed to higher prices in 2025, while 42 per cent pointed to the war in Ukraine. Thirty-three per cent cited extreme weather events affecting logistics and production lines, while 18 per cent blamed politicians and government policies. 

O’Marah said: ‘Trade disputes, disrupted logistics and raw material costs soaring aren’t just abstract ideas to today’s consumers – they are shaping household budgets.’