The BRC Shop Price Index shows prices in April were down 1.28 per cent compared with April last year, and down 0.1 per cent compared with March this year.
Non-food prices fell for the fourth consecutive month, down 0.1 per cent compared with March, after a 0.35 per cent decrease from February to March.
Food prices also fell by 0.1 per cent, the second drop this year.
BRC director-general Kevin Hawkins said: 'With the continuing underlying lacklustre performance in retail sales, retailers are dong everything they can to stimulate demand. We have seen price deflation for more than six months now. This, coupled with rent and rate rises of up to 10 per cent and a forthcoming national minimum wage hike of 6 per cent, shows the amount of pressure the sector is under to stimulate profitable sales.'
The Scottish Shop Price Index, conducted by the Scottish Retail Consortium (SRC), shows prices north of the border have dropped in three out of the past four months.
Prices fell by 0.12 per cent in April compared with March, the second month of greater decline than the rest of the UK. Prices dropped by 0.46 per cent from February to March. However, overall, shop prices are slightly higher in Scotland.
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