Grocery inflation in Ireland hit a record 16.4%, according to the latest data released by Kantar.

The rapid growth in prices is reflected in the change in the rate of inflation from a year ago when it was at 2.4%.

Consumers continue to shop for bargains, with the data showing the biggest growth in the grocery space was for supermarket own-brand labels, with value own-labels (the very cheapest products) growing 36% year on year.

This switch to lower-cost brands means that consumers are managing their personal inflation levels lower.

The calculated 16.4% presumes there is no substitution of goods by shoppers, whereas the increase in market share of cheaper brands shows substitution is occurring.

Dunnes remains the number one grocery supplier by market share at 23.6%, while Lidl and Aldi's combined market share was at 24.3% in the period.

Kantar also noted a large decline in sales of tomatoes and cucumbers during the period due to product shortages.