The British Retail Consortium's monthly shop price index showed that prices across both food and non-food sectors had grown in September by 0.01 per cent and 0.16 per cent respectively.
The BRC said this marked the fourth time this year that overall prices had risen month on month, although the 0.01 per cent rise for food was the lowest rise of this year.
A 0.7 per cent fall in overall prices was recorded by the index in July this year.
BRC director-general Kevin Hawkins said: 'Prices stabilised in September after rising sharply in August, following the end of the traditional sales period. Food inflation is easing off slightly and cost pressures are still not being passed on to the consumer.
'With prices rising at a lower rate than last month, the overall SPI is still well below both the CPI [consumer price index] and RPI [retail price index] and is likely to fall further in the run-up to the Christmas trading period. A rise in interest rates before the New Year, if then, is not required.'
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