what next ?
--- a satnav equipped shopping basket ?!

location based services

Sat nav in, sprouts out


Angela BalakrishnanMonday March 19, 2007Guardian Unlimited

DVDs, satellite navigation systems (sat nav) and digital radios are all in, along with broccoli and olive oil, but brussels sprouts have fallen out of favour with the nation, the Office for National Statistics confirms today.
Releasing its annual update of the range of goods and services people typically buy each month and which it measures to establish the country's inflation rate, the ONS said this year's shopping basket reflected a technological shift among British consumers.


A rise in spending on sat nav now warranted its inclusion, while falling expenditure on radios and CD and cassette players has led to them being replaced by DAB radios. VHS tapes and video cassette recorders also dropped out of the basket to be replaced by recordable DVDs.
Increasing purchases of digital cameras - which were included in the basket in 2004 - has driven a rise in digital processing, especially with their ready availability in supermarkets and many shops. This has now been included for the first time in place of mail order developing.
With 77% of households owning a mobile phone and the market for services such as ringtones growing rapidly, downloads were included in the basket.
As the nation becomes more health conscious, olive oil, broccoli and pro-biotic drinks replace vegetable oil, brie and brussels sprouts.
However, despite campaigning by figures such as Jamie Oliver against fizzy drink vending machines at schools, these along with 'on board' catering on trains, planes and ferries, entered the basket.
In an attempt to expand coverage of what the average shopper spends their money on, electric fans, shower heads and toothbrushes were included. Mortgage service fees and credit card charges were also included under financial services.
Meanwhile, sunglasses, outdoor plant pots and children's wellies have been dropped.
Following rises in the past year of gas and electricity prices, the basket weight for fuel and light in the retail price index of inflation rose from 3.3% to 3.9%. But this was still below the 6.1% level of 1987.