The tough conditions confronting retailers show no sign of easing. On the contrary, they may get worse. The spectre of a no-deal Brexit looms large at Halloween, just as the traditional golden quarter gets underway.

Over the past few days, food retailers have been fixtures in TV and radio studios in an attempt to highlight the urgency of the threat to food supply in the event of a disorderly departure from the EU.

Former Sainsbury’s chief executive Justin King, now a non-executive director of Marks & Spencer, warned in a BBC interview that “anything other than silky smooth at our borders on October 31 will have a significant impact on food availability”.