Sainsbury’s says shoppers are delaying spending in run-up to budget

Boss of supermarket urges Rachel Reeves not to fuel inflation with tax rises on retailers and suppliers

The boss of Sainsbury's has urged Rachel Reeves not to fuel inflation with tax rises on retailers and their suppliers and says shoppers are delaying spending in the lead-up to her budget later this month.

Simon Roberts, the chief executive of the UK's second biggest supermarket, which also owns Argos and Habitat, said his customers were going to be cautious on discretionary spending, not least because of uncertainty out there and [household] budgets are tight".