Source: Sharecast
Shop prices were 0.1% lower than last April, following a 0.4% decline in March, according to the British Retail Consortium's shop price index released on Tuesday.
Non-food prices were down 1.4% over last year, as deflation slowed from -1.9% in March.
Meanwhile, food prices were 2.6% higher than last year, after growing by 2.4% in March, reaching its highest rate in 11 months.
According to Helen Dickinson, chief executive of the BRC, "the days of shop price deflation look numbered".
"Everyday essentials including bread, meat, and fish, all increased prices on the month. This comes in the same month retailers face a mountain of new employment costs in the form of higher employer National Insurance Contributions and increased National Living Wage," she said.
Meanwhile, Mike Watkins, head of retailer and business insight at NielsenIQ, which works with the BRC to publish the monthly data, said retailers will be looking to mitigate price increases seen across supply chains.
"Whilst we expect consumers to remain cautious on discretionary spend, the late Easter will have helped to stimulate sales," he said.