Grocery Surprises, What's Got Your Goat With High Price?

[DR FREUD]

I went to Publix this past week and had bleach on my list for a month or so and finally purchased it.  I was POSITIVE the price for store brand one gallon was wrong.....$5.29  I thought I remembered last time I bought was about a year ago and it was somewhere around $2.59 per gallon.  What has shocked you price wise in the grocery store lately?  Another was a 12 pak of Diet Coke in cans for $6.29

[samhexum]

1 hour ago, DR FREUD said:

What's Got Your Goat With High Price?

Goat's milk, Goat cheese, Goat meat...  and Coke Zero 2-liters.

Edited September 29, 2021 by samhexum

[+ azdr0710]

12-packs of Coke products are often on sale for $1.87 at my Kroger-affiliated store if one buys three of them with the card. 

[+ sync]

Just about everything.  😣

[samhexum]

2 hours ago, DR FREUD said:

I went to Publix this past week and had bleach on my list for a month or so and finally purchased it.  I was POSITIVE the price for store brand one gallon was wrong.....$5.29  I thought I remembered last time I bought was about a year ago and it was somewhere around $2.59 per gallon.

Couldn't you just have gotten some hydroxychloroquine or ivermectin if you didn't want to get vaccinated? 😎🤣😁🤑🤒🤧

[+ bigjoey]

12 hours ago, sync said:

Just about everything.  😣

While the Fed and Treasury are saying that inflation is “temporary” my guess/opinion is it is not.  For example:

1-wages are going up at a good clip due to a labor “shortage”; the higher wages may bring more people into the workforce with a higher labor participation rate but those wages will not go back down.

2-utility costs are going up as more renewable energy comes into our energy mix; that energy costs more and will not get cheaper.

3-The Biden administration wants higher corporate taxes.  Some of that tax burden will fall on customers and result in higher prices (economists vary as to who pays what percentage of corporate taxes but some falls on shareholders, some on employees and some on customers).

4-global supply chain changes will add to costs.  As companies move away from China due to political tensions it will take time and costs to do so. Some “food” items like candy come from China but many items you buy at the grocery store are non-food items made in China.

Some factors like transportation costs may be temporary.  Some commodities will go down as well as up in price like eggs or beef.  However, processed foods will have the same factors as listed above that will ratchet upwards.

 

[Guest]

An interesting observation:

- for about 3 years, I’ve been exclusively an Instacart shopper

- in my area, Kroger and Publix are the two biggest national chains

- one day I made my list for Publix delivery and decided to take the list to Kroger instead and shop myself

- almost every item was 10% to 30% cheaper at Kroger.  
- Publix has fewer bare shelves, but Kroger was meaningfully cheaper.  Let’s not even get me on the topic of Whole Foods.  And to my surprise, the best fruits and vegetables come from WalMart.  

[jeezifonly]

I am so relieved to be out and about, masked and vaxxed, I figure the entertainment value is worth a few cents more for most price hikes. 

[Rudynate]

Every time I shop, I'm shocked all over again at the price of historically dirt-cheap food items like potatoes, onions, canned beans, etc.   A can of beans is ~$2.00, a single onion sets you back around $2.00.  Potatoes are $2.59 a pound or so.    We're still getting groceries delivered and not eating out very much - we spend insane amounts of money on food.  

My doc made me cut back on my protein intake, so we're eating lots more meatless meals, which has made quite a difference in our spend for groceries. 

[+ Charlie]

Let's not overlook the effect of climate change on the price of food. The production of food depends much more on the natural environment than the production of manufactured items does. Fires and floods affect how much food get produced, and where. Rising temperatures affect what gets produced, and where. Drought affects what gets produced. The price of food is also affected by the cost of growing it and transporting it to buyers. Most of us shop at supermarkets because that's the only place where we can get fresh vegetables all year round where we live. The alternative is to live on your own farm and hope for a good year weatherwise.

Edited September 30, 2021 by Charlie
typo

[+ bigjoey]

51 minutes ago, Charlie said:The price of food is also affected by the cost of growing it and transporting it to buyers. Most of us shop at supermarkets because that's that's the only place where we can get fresh vegetables all year round where we live. The alternative is to live on your own farm and hope for a good year weatherwise.

We are use to getting fresh vegetables all year long.  Growing up, fruit and vegetables were seasonal.  Strawberries and asparagus first appeared in the Spring.  Watermelon was a Summer time treat. Blueberries were late Summer and Fall. Avocado was unknown to me as a child.  Today we are spoiled and expect everything to be available anytime.  This expectation adds to costs as we get fresh fruits and vegetables from far away places.

This non-seasonal eating costs more due to transportation costs as well as adding to the environmental damage from transportation.  If we ate  both seasonally and locally, the environment would benefit and our food costs would be lower.

WE are part of the problem of both the high cost of groceries and damage to the environment.

(Yes, I like strawberries all year long and avocado toast in the morning.)

 

 

 

[Guest]

6 hours ago, bigjoey said:

We are use to getting fresh vegetables all year long.  Growing up, fruit and vegetables were seasonal.  Strawberries and asparagus first appeared in the Spring.  Watermelon was a Summer time treat. Blueberries were late Summer and Fall. Avocado was unknown to me as a child.  Today we are spoiled and expect everything to be available anytime.  This expectation adds to costs as we get fresh fruits and vegetables from far away places.

This non-seasonal eating costs more due to transportation costs as well as adding to the environmental damage from transportation.  If we ate  both seasonally and locally, the environment would benefit and our food costs would be lower.

WE are part of the problem of both the high cost of groceries and damage to the environment.

(Yes, I like strawberries all year long and avocado toast in the morning.)

 

 

 

Unfortunately, sumo oranges remain seasonal…

[+ Pensant]

Even as a single man, I spend a fair amount on food. There’s a local bakery that sells an amazing caraway rye on the island and I noticed that it’s now $9 a loaf. The eggs I like, also local and organic, are $5.99 per dozen. None of this deters me from buying; but I think the days of cheap food are gone for many reasons.

[samhexum]

On 9/30/2021 at 10:09 AM, Rudynate said:

Every time I shop, I'm shocked all over again at the price of historically dirt-cheap food items like potatoes, onions, canned beans, etc.   A can of beans is ~$2.00, a single onion sets you back around $2.00.  Potatoes are $2.59 a pound or so.    We're still getting groceries delivered and not eating out very much - we spend insane amounts of money on food. 

On 9/30/2021 at 11:24 AM, Charlie said:

Let's not overlook the effect of climate change on the price of food. The production of food depends much more on the natural environment than the production of manufactured items does. Fires and floods affect how much food get produced, and where. Rising temperatures affect what gets produced, and where. Drought affects what gets produced. The price of food is also affected by the cost of growing it and transporting it to buyers. Most of us shop at supermarkets because that's the only place where we can get fresh vegetables all year round where we live. The alternative is to live on your own farm and hope for a good year weatherwise.

On 9/30/2021 at 12:21 PM, bigjoey said:

We are use to getting fresh vegetables all year long.  Growing up, fruit and vegetables were seasonal.  Strawberries and asparagus first appeared in the Spring.  Watermelon was a Summer time treat. Blueberries were late Summer and Fall. Avocado was unknown to me as a child.  Today we are spoiled and expect everything to be available anytime.  This expectation adds to costs as we get fresh fruits and vegetables from far away places. This non-seasonal eating costs more due to transportation costs as well as adding to the environmental damage from transportation.  If we ate  both seasonally and locally, the environment would benefit and our food costs would be lower. WE are part of the problem of both the high cost of groceries and damage to the environment. (Yes, I like strawberries all year long and avocado toast in the morning.)

On 9/30/2021 at 7:16 PM, BnaC said:

Unfortunately, sumo oranges remain seasonal…

On 10/1/2021 at 10:40 AM, Pensant said:

Even as a single man, I spend a fair amount on food. There’s a local bakery that sells an amazing caraway rye on the island and I noticed that it’s now $9 a loaf. The eggs I like, also local and organic, are $5.99 per dozen. None of this deters me from buying; but I think the days of cheap food are gone for many reasons.

Edited October 3, 2021 by samhexum

[+ sniper]

If it means the workers who pick my food aren't living in what amounts to slave-like conditions, I consider the higher prices a fair tradeoff.  The continual grinding down of the bottom half of our workforce finally hit a hard limit.  I don't think professionals have any clue how abusive the working conditions of these people are.  I worked in retail in HS - had a union, there was a process for requesting not to be scheduled on certain days, once the schedule was set  you were getting paid for those hours even if they sent you home because it was a slow night.  Now they expect people to be available all the time, if it's slow they send them home with no notice and they don't get paid, etc.  Those jobs are no longer a step up to the middle class, they're a trap in the lower class.  

[+ WilliamM]

On 9/30/2021 at 11:24 AM, Charlie said:

Let's not overlook the effect of climate change on the price of food. The production of food depends much more on the natural environment than the production of manufactured items does. Fires and floods affect how much food get produced, and where. Rising temperatures affect what gets produced, and where. Drought affects what gets produced. The price of food is also affected by the cost of growing it and transporting it to buyers. Most of us shop at supermarkets because that's the only place where we can get fresh vegetables all year round where we live. The alternative is to live on your own farm and hope for a good year weatherwise.

Well, Philadelphia has the Reading Terminal with many offering of fruits and vegetables available year round.

Not a supermarket

Independent merchants in Center City also service lunch

Edited October 3, 2021 by WilliamM

[Rudynate]

Of course designer foods like artisan bread and pastured eggs cost more, because the cost of production is so much higher than mass-produced food.  My husband and I buy those, and we willingly bear the increased cost.  But there have been huge increases in the prices of mainstream, mass-produced food that just don't really add up.    Prices shot up at the beginning of the pandemic and have stayed high.  Another thing that surprises me is how the supply chain seems to have been permanently disrupted.

 

I am positive that some grocers are gouging.  for example, we buy Daves Killer Bread.  At Safeway, it is costing about $8.00 for a loaf.  At Lucky, a little more than a mile from Safeway, the same loaf of bread costs about $6.50.  Big difference.  And I could go on and on about price differences between Safeway and Lucky.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

[+ E.T.Bass]

I listened to a piece on NPR about supply chain dynamics and why the system won't automatically fix itself.   The expert was a Harvard professor.  I know that won't impress some people, but I was convinced. 

He explained supply chain factors and the dynamics currently affecting supply, things most of us wouldn't think about. 

In this modern age of scapegoating and conspiracy theories, I won't be surprised if this becomes political even though it shouldn't. 

When I look across to the unusually long queue of cargo ships from Asia waiting to unload at the port, it's clear that the supply chain is far from reaching equilibrium.

That said, I never complain about prices.  What good does it do to worry and complain about something so simple, where I have little or no control over it?

 

 

 

 

 

Edited October 3, 2021 by E.T.Bass
sp.

[+ sniper]

The flip side of making everything as "efficient" as possible is that when you've eliminated every last redundancy, you have no slack when there's a shock to the system.  This is what's happening now.

[Epigonos]

Call is whatever you want but in the end it is called INFLATION. 

[+ bigjoey]

7 hours ago, Rudynate said:

Of course designer foods like artisan bread and pastured eggs cost more, because the cost of production is so much higher than mass-produced food.  My husband and I buy those, and we willingly bear the increased cost.  But there have been huge increases in the prices of mainstream, mass-produced food that just don't really add up.    Prices shot up at the beginning of the pandemic and have stayed high.  Another thing that surprises me is how the supply chain seems to have been permanently disrupted.

 

I am positive that some grocers are gouging.  for example, we buy Daves Killer Bread.  At Safeway, it is costing about $8.00 for a loaf.  At Lucky, a little more than a mile from Safeway, the same loaf of bread costs about $6.50.  Big difference.  And I could go on and on about price differences between Safeway and Lucky.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

If enough people saw the higher prices of Dave’s Killer Bread (aside: I buy their English muffins❤️) at Safeway and switched to Lucky, Safeway would see sales drop and: lower price or drop a now slow moving product.

Connivence is one thing but a price difference that large should not exist for too long from stores that close.

[+ bigjoey]

9 hours ago, sniper said:

If it means the workers who pick my food aren't living in what amounts to slave-like conditions, I consider the higher prices a fair tradeoff.  The continual grinding down of the bottom half of our workforce finally hit a hard limit.  I don't think professionals have any clue how abusive the working conditions of these people are.  I worked in retail in HS - had a union, there was a process for requesting not to be scheduled on certain days, once the schedule was set  you were getting paid for those hours even if they sent you home because it was a slow night.  Now they expect people to be available all the time, if it's slow they send them home with no notice and they don't get paid, etc.  Those jobs are no longer a step up to the middle class, they're a trap in the lower class.  

Those who pick your food will shortly be machines.  Human pickers are too costly to keep the price of food within reach.  The future is here:

https://youtu.be/M3SGScaShhw

https://youtu.be/gHVA_FyXvPk

 

Edited October 4, 2021 by bigjoey

[+ sniper]

They've been saying "shortly" for years now about a lot of automation.  The fact remains that the human hand and arm have a number of degrees of freedom that are computationally extremely tough to program, and then there's the visual inspection aspect.  

 

 

 

[Deadlift1]

I now shop at Aldi and Lidl.  Trader Joe's is a separate division of Aldi Nord.  Aldi is trader Joe's without the psycho Karens.

Lidl has it's own Bakery pumping out artisan breads and pretzel rolls.  Inexpensive.  The bread gets sliced in front of you

[samhexum]

17 minutes ago, bigjoey said:

Human puckers are too costly

I'm sure most of the men on this site will agree with you completely.  😁😎🤑🤣