Nassau County Consumers on Increasing Prices at the Grocery Store
Nassau News Staff Writer
For most shoppers, it's hard to check out at the grocery store and not notice the price increases. In the past six months, everything from bread to bananas and chicken to milk has dramatically risen in price.
Why are prices increasing so quickly and dramatically, and what are Nassau County consumers doing to curb their bill at the check-out counter? Nassau News went out and asked.
Nassau County Consumers and Increasing Prices at the Grocery Store (the text version)
For most shoppers it’s hard to check out at any grocery store and not notice the sharp increase in price of their goods.
In the past six months, wheat prices have doubled, which means everything made from wheat has gone up. Also, meat has gone up because livestock is fed by the wheat. Consumers are paying over 25 percent more for eggs and 17 percent more for milk, according to the NY Times. Bananas and other produce have also dramatically increased.
General Manager of Associated Food Stores in Long Beach, Omar Rodriguez explained that he’s seen increasing all over his store. “Anything pertaining to wheat which has gone out the roof lately,” he said. “I’m sure you’ve probably heard bagels going up to a dollar fifty.”
General inflation has played a role in the increasing prices; however increasing world-wide demand and the increasing cost of fuel also have played a significant role.
Hofstra University Economics Professor Martin Melkonian explained the particular sharp rise in energy costs has affected the transportation costs of food items. “Food is transported from lots of different areas and with the gasoline and other fuels rising in price that’s raising the prices to the truckers and so on. They are passing on these rising costs to the consumer,” he said.
According to Labor Department statistics, from January to February of this year, chicken has gone up 10 cents in the Northeast urban areas; since November of last year, the price has gone up 20 cents.
Besides the increasing cost of the fuel used to transport goods, other increasing costs, like education and health care, are also contributing to rising prices, Melkonian said. He also added another important reason prices are going up is the weakening of the U.S. dollar internationally.
So then, what does the future hold for prices and will there be relief at the check-out counter for consumers?
“Prices haven’t gone down in any systematic way since the 1930s. They’ve either gone up a little bit or gone up a lot,” Melkonian said. “We’re in a position now where they’re beginning to go up more than normal.”
However, Melkonian suggests that finding substitutes for oil could help with inflation. Finding substitutes for oil would mean a lower dependency on the fuel, which would in turn lower demand and the price. He also suggested that efficiency may be the most important substitute. “By that, I mean finding more efficient ways to run out vehicles and run our appliances,” he said.
Consumers at Waldbaum’s in Wantagh, New York commented that their understanding of the increasing prices at the grocery store was due to the increasing cost of fuel.
“I think part of it goes back to the increase cost of gasoline and petroleum products -- it just raises everything,” Richard Picard of North Merrick said.
In order to deal with the rising costs, several websites and bloggers have dedicated sites and entries to beating the scanner at the check-out counter. Some websites like coolsavings.com have printable coupons available online; however, not all stores accept online coupons. Other sites, like FrugalShopper.com, offer tips to saving money and blog sites of posts from consumer’s experiences and tips.
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Additional Video Interviews
Omar Rodriquez, general manager of Associated in Long Beach, explained what he has noticed in his store. For a full transcript of the interview, click here.
General inflation has played a role in the increasing prices; however increasing world wide demand and the increasing cost of fuel also have played a significant role. Hofstra University Economics Professor Martin Melkonian explained the particular sharp rise in energy costs has affected the transportation costs of food items. For a full transcript of the interview, click here.
According to U.S Department of Labor statistics, from January to February of this year chicken has gone up 10 cents in the Northeast urban areas; and since November of last year, the price has gone up 20 cents.
So then, what does the future hold for food prices and will there be relief at the check out counter for consumers? For a full transcript of this interview with Professor Melkonian, click here.
As consumers wait for relief at the counter, economists suggest energy conservation could be instrumental in reducing costs as Melkonian told Nassau News.
Richard and Barbara Picard of North Merrick shop regularly at the Waldbaum’s in Wantagh. They attributed the increasing grocery bill they’ve been paying to fuel as well. For a full transcript of the interview, click here.
In order to deal with the rising costs of food, several websites and bloggers have dedicated sites and entries to beating the scanner at the check-out counter. Some websites like coolsavings.com have printable coupons available online; however, not all stores accept online coupons. Other sites, like FrugalShopper.com, offer tips on saving money and links to blog sites of posts from consumers', offering experiences and tips. Other shoppers, like the Picards, have sought the best prices in their area.
