Clubbing Out, Coffee Pods In For Inflation Basket

Nespresso coffee pods and Baileys liqueur are in while nightclubbing is out – the new official list of products used to measure consumer prices is hardly rock 'n' roll.

The changes reflect the latest annual review by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) of the basket of goods and services it uses to measure Consumer Price Index (CPI (Other OTC: CPICQ - news) ) inflation.

It (Other OTC: ITGL - news) has removed nightclub entry fees from the list, saying that in recent years the number of clubs in Britain has declined, with many high profile closures.

Philip Gooding, CPI statistican at the ONS, said: "With (Other OTC: WWTH - news) the number of nightclubs charging entry declining, we can no longer justify keeping these fees in the basket."

In another change reflecting the way consumers digest popular culture, CD Roms and rewritable DVDs have been removed, reflecting shifts away from physical media and towards downloadable files, the ONS said.

Computer software such as word processing, antivirus or web design have also been added, as have downloaded computer games.

Coffee (NYBOT: KC-ZK15-c.NYB - news) pods - drinks capsules such as the Nespresso brand promoted by George Clooney - are now in the basket, as is cream liqueur such as Baileys.

Also included are pouches of microwave rice and multipacks of meat-based snacks to represent the market for "buffet-type food".

Meanwhile, categories such as make-up and clothing have been expanded to include separate entries for nail varnish and women's leggings.

The new basket features 704 items of which 15 are new this year, with 14 other items being removed and 13 modified.