Britons blame corporate greed for price hikes, survey finds

Britons are most likely to blame corporate greed for price hikes, according to Zero100's analysis of 14,000 consumers across seven major markets. The survey found that one in five Britons cited corporate greed as the largest single driver of rising retail prices.

Britain stood out for its skepticism toward large businesses, even as global economic conditions remained a common explanation for price increases. More than 90 per cent of Britons surveyed said they had seen price increases on regular purchases in the last six months, compared with a global average of 82 per cent. The U.K. was described as the most price-sensitive of all markets analyzed, with Germany at 84 per cent, France at 78 per cent, and China at 72 per cent.

Within Britain, the view that corporate greed is to blame was most pronounced among Generation X, with 28 per cent of people aged 45 to 54 attributing price hikes to corporate motives. That share was almost twice the proportion of Generation Z respondents.

Amid spikes for certain items, belt-tightening is reshaping how Britons shop. Brand loyalty is faltering as households switch to cheaper options and cut back on purchases. In the survey, 67 per cent of Britons said they would drop any brand that continually increased prices, 35 per cent reported switching to cheaper brands, and 32 per cent said they were buying fewer items.

In Britain, consumer prices rose 3.2 per cent in the year to November, down from 3.6 per cent in October, though inflation remains above the Bank of England's 2 per cent target. The BoE has moved rates up and down in an effort to anchor inflation, and five rate cuts since August 2024 have reduced the policy rate to 4 per cent; a sixth cut was anticipated at the central bank's meeting on Thursday.

Across all markets surveyed by Zero100, 57 per cent of people said 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 disrupting logistics and production, and 18 per cent blamed politicians and government policies.

'O'Marah said the data show that trade disputes, disrupted logistics and rising raw material costs are not abstract ideas but factors shaping household budgets.'