Christmas may be a time for inflationary waistbands - but grocery bills are also still on the rise.

Inflation in the supermarket aisles has hit a record of almost 15%, it has been revealed.

Filling your trolley for the average weekly shop is up almost €20 in the past 12 months, rising from €135 to nearly €155 this year.

And the cost of Christmas dinner is also up 8%. A combination of inflation and festive spending means this month should be record-breaking for grocery sales, hitting €1.25bn for the first time, analysis by supermarket analysts Kantar shows.

It also predicts Friday, December 23 will be the busiest day for Christmas shopping.

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The total average annual grocery bill has risen from €7,037 to €8,071, an extra €1,034 a year.

Kantar's senior retail analyst Emer Healy said: "As food and drink prices continue to rise alongside pressures on household bills, the impact on shopper budgets is unavoidable for many people. Now with inflation at 14.7%, the average annual grocery bill is set to rise from €7,037 to €8,071 - an extra €1,034 a year. At a basket level, that's an additional €4.23 on top of the cost of the average shopping trip of €28.75."

But despite inflationary and other pressures, Irish shoppers are still stocking up on festive treats this year. People have spent an extra €1.2m on gifting and chocolate boxes, €3.5m more on savoury snacking, and €617,000 on mince pies, compared to 2021.

The cost of a traditional Christmas dinner for four has hit €41.58, up 7.9%, an indication of how much rising prices are impacting Irish consumers.

But one of the least favourite Christmas dinner vegetables has seen a slump. "Shoppers are spending €189,000 less on Brussels sprouts," added Ms Healy.

The fast-rising prices are a "significant worry" for families, said Dermott Jewell of the Consumers' Association of Ireland. He said: "At 14.7% it does show there's absolutely no control in the hands of the consumer of what they can afford whether it be essential items or anything else beyond that. This adds to the total confusion of how to balance and manage a budget for the future.

"Probably one of the biggest concerns is what's underpinning the increases. The lack of transparency in what is making up a price is a problem and it needs to be addressed by Government."