Shelf Indices release · data for August 2026 · published 29 September 2026 · version 2026-09.4
Online prices in August 2026
In August 2026, full prices of the same apparel products at covered US online retailers were +2.1% on a year earlier, down from +2.5% in July, and footwear +1.9%, down from +2.3%. The official US CPI for apparel was +3.6%. Apparel full prices were +0.8% in the UK and +0.8% in Germany and Spain. Across 48 series, 18 rose faster than in July and 30 slowed or held.
Each figure compares the full (list) price of the same products at the same covered online retailers with a year earlier.
Biggest moves since July
Change in each series' year-on-year rate between July and August.
Price growth sped up most
- UK crisps: +1.9 pts (to +3.6% a year on year, from +1.7%)
- Germany and Spain apparel: +1.1 pts (to +0.8% a year on year, from -0.3%)
- Germany and Spain handbag: +1.0 pts (to +1.0% a year on year, from -0.1%)
Price growth slowed most
- US sofa: -1.6 pts (to -1.8% a year on year, from -0.2%)
- Germany and Spain earring: -1.6 pts (to +11.5% a year on year, from +13.0%)
- UK sofa: -1.3 pts (to -0.7% a year on year, from +0.6%)
United States
| Series | Aug 2026 | Jul 2026 | Aug 2025 | Official CPI, Aug 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US apparel | +2.1% | +2.5% | +4.0% | +3.6% (Apparel) |
| US footwear | +1.9% | +2.3% | +3.2% | +3.6% (Footwear) |
| US accessories | +9.0% | +9.5% | +5.4% | |
| US jewelry | +16.9% | +17.6% | +7.6% | +7.8% (Jewelry) |
| US home improvement | +3.2% | +2.9% | -0.7% | +1.4% (Tools, hardware, outdoor equipment and supplies) |
| US home goods | +2.0% | +2.5% | -3.2% | |
| US furniture | -1.0% | 0.0% | -2.5% | -0.8% (Furniture and bedding) |
| US garden and patio | 0.0% | +0.7% | -1.5% | |
| US kitchen and dining | +4.4% | +5.0% | +2.5% | |
| US home appliances | +1.5% | +2.1% | +2.2% | +0.1% (Appliances) |
| US pet | +0.9% | +1.2% | +1.4% | +1.9% (Pets and pet products) |
12 category series
| Series | Aug 2026 | Jul 2026 | Aug 2025 | Official CPI, Aug 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US jeans | +3.9% | +4.8% | +4.2% | |
| US casual dress | +1.9% | +1.9% | +5.5% | -1.0% (Women's dresses) |
| US sports shoe | +1.9% | +1.9% | +0.5% | |
| US boot | +2.0% | +2.3% | +4.4% | |
| US earring | +17.1% | +17.5% | +7.0% | |
| US sunglasses | +3.1% | +4.1% | +3.2% | |
| US rug | +11.9% | +12.6% | -7.8% | +0.9% (Floor coverings) |
| US sofa | -1.8% | -0.2% | -1.6% | |
| US ceiling light | -0.2% | -0.5% | -3.6% | |
| US kitchen cabinet | +8.5% | +8.9% | -12.1% | |
| US patio furniture set | -1.2% | -0.2% | -1.9% | |
| US dog food | +0.4% | +1.6% | +0.4% | +1.6% (Pet food and treats) |
United Kingdom
| Series | Aug 2026 | Jul 2026 | Aug 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| UK apparel | +0.8% | +1.1% | -1.7% |
| UK footwear | +0.5% | +0.1% | 0.0% |
| UK home improvement | +0.4% | +0.9% | +0.1% |
| UK home goods | -0.7% | -0.1% | +1.1% |
| UK beauty | +0.7% | +1.1% | +1.8% |
12 category series
| Series | Aug 2026 | Jul 2026 | Aug 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| UK chocolate | +1.8% | +2.3% | +13.5% |
| UK cheese | +0.5% | +0.7% | +3.1% |
| UK milk | +1.7% | +0.7% | +4.4% |
| UK biscuit | +2.6% | +2.5% | +5.4% |
| UK soft drink | +3.2% | +2.4% | +2.9% |
| UK breakfast cereal | +1.0% | +0.8% | +1.5% |
| UK yogurt | +1.5% | +1.3% | +1.8% |
| UK crisps | +3.6% | +1.7% | -3.8% |
| UK sports shoe | +1.0% | +0.1% | -0.9% |
| UK casual dress | +0.7% | +0.7% | -2.6% |
| UK jeans | +0.3% | +0.3% | +0.5% |
| UK sofa | -0.7% | +0.6% | +1.1% |
Germany and Spain
| Series | Aug 2026 | Jul 2026 | Aug 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Germany and Spain apparel | +0.8% | -0.3% | -1.3% |
| Germany and Spain footwear | +0.4% | +0.5% | -1.1% |
6 category series
| Series | Aug 2026 | Jul 2026 | Aug 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Germany and Spain casual dress | +0.4% | +0.1% | -1.3% |
| Germany and Spain jeans | +0.2% | -0.1% | -1.8% |
| Germany and Spain sports shoe | +0.4% | +0.3% | -1.5% |
| Germany and Spain boot | +0.2% | +0.9% | -0.9% |
| Germany and Spain earring | +11.5% | +13.0% | +3.5% |
| Germany and Spain handbag | +1.0% | -0.1% | -1.2% |
Discounting
Share of in-stock SKUs marked down, and the average discount on them, in August 2026.
- US apparel: 48.9% marked down, average discount 38.0%
- US footwear: 36.0% marked down, average discount 34.8%
- UK apparel: 55.3% marked down, average discount 37.9%
- UK footwear: 46.9% marked down, average discount 35.6%
- Germany and Spain apparel: 52.9% marked down, average discount 31.9%
- Germany and Spain footwear: 48.0% marked down, average discount 27.3%
Changes in this release
29 September 2026: 30 category series added (12 US, 12 UK, 6 Germany and Spain), food and dog food per kilogram, litre or pound. Since 26 September every series comes directly from Data Purl's Sector Analytics, so the public figures match the analytics portal.
How to cite
Data Purl, "Shelf Indices release: August 2026", version 2026-09.4, published 2026-09-29. https://data-purl.com/data/releases/2026-08
Free to reuse with attribution to Data Purl (CC BY 4.0). Definitions, downloads and full history are on each series page and in the methodology. Official CPI: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, CPI-U, US city average, not seasonally adjusted. Not investment advice.
Earlier releases
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