(Photo : Unsplash/MarquesThomas)
Food prices at Walmart are still high, even though the overall cost of living is decreasing. People who shop there are starting to complain.
One customer was upset and asked others to join in and protest against the high prices.
Grocery Bills Skyrocket Over Four Years
Even though overall inflation is starting to slow down, high food costs are still a big problem for American families.
A recent report showed that food prices increased by 0.4% in January from the previous month. This increase was quicker than the general cost rise, which was 0.3% according to the Consumer Price Index (CPI).
The CPI looks at a variety of items that Americans typically buy, including two main types of food purchases: groceries and eating out. Prices for both have been going up, but the cost of eating out has risen much faster. Over the past year, restaurant prices jumped by 5.1%, while grocery prices increased by 1.2%.
Many people feel the pinch of these rising costs and share their upset feelings online.
"Every visit to Walmart, the prices seem to jump up. Just hearing 'bird flu' makes egg prices shoot up again. We should stop shopping at grocery stores for one day each week," a Walmart customer suggested in an X post.
They emphasized that the problem isn't just with Walmart but also includes other stores like Kroger, Aldi, Save-A-Lot, and Food Fair.
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Grocery Costs Up Despite Other Drops
While the prices of things like phones, appliances, gas, and used cars have decreased, the cost of groceries increased slightly in 2023.
The Groundwork Collaborative report showed that while some food prices, like eggs, lettuce, and tomatoes, fell, others, like beef, sugar, and citrus, got more expensive.
With high gas and housing expenses, food prices affect Americans the most.
A Yahoo Finance/Ipsos survey found that over two-thirds of voters felt the biggest pinch from inflation through higher food prices.
The Washington Post cites many reasons behind these high prices, including labor shortages caused by the pandemic, ongoing problems with supply chains, droughts, bird flu, and more.
Dawn Thilmany, an agricultural economist and professor at Colorado State University, believes that food prices might not return to their previous levels except for a few items like eggs. Instead, they're expected to stabilize at the current levels.
Walmart Shoppers Decry Price Hikes
(Photo : Unsplash/Tobias)
Many people who shop at Walmart say the store's high food prices are due to unfair pricing and the company's desire for too much profit.
One person on X shared how their grocery bill doubled from about $150 to more than $300, even though they mostly buy the store's brand.
On TikTok, a customer highlighted the big price jumps for Walmart's food items since 2020, showing how serious inflation has become. For example, a 16-ounce pack of Great Value turkey breast went from $3.14 in 2020 to $6.72 last year. Also, Great Value bacon went from $11.98 in 2020 to $16.48 in 2023.
One video even showed bacon costing around $20, with the person urging, "Wake up. It's crazy."
In the comments, many blamed the price rises not just on inflation but on price gouging, saying, "This isn't even inflation tho - it's just price gouging," and worrying that prices will never decrease.
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