Food prices are falling, but how is that translating to your grocery bill?
The cost of groceries is down an average of about 2 percent over the past year, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, including a nearly 9 percent drop for raw ground beef and 4.3 percent drop for roasted coffee. But how store prices play out varies greatly, depending on where you live and shop.
Here’s a look at what’s affecting how much you’re paying for groceries:
What’s cheaper?
The biggest price drops are for protein sources, according to government data; the index for meats, poultry, fish and eggs was down nearly 7 percent in August from a year ago. That’s largely a reflection of how high prices had previously climbed because of tighter supplies.
Egg prices, for instance, reached all-time highs last year following an avian flu outbreak that led to a sharp reduction in hens. The average wholesale price for a dozen eggs shot up to $2.29 last September, from $1.29 the previous year, said Russ Whitman, a senior editor at commodities research firm Urner Barry.
That dampened demand, which has persisted even as production recovered, Whitman said. As a result, the average wholesale price for a dozen eggs was 79 cents in September.
Similar factors have affected beef and pork, where supplies are being rebuilt after being hurt by a drought and pig virus, respectively, Whitman said.
Record availability of items including pork, eggs and chicken into next year, Whitman said, means prices will likely stay low for the near future. Costco Chief Financial Officer Richard Galanti said the company expects food deflation to persist for five or six more months.
Other items may cost more, though. The price of fresh fruits overall rose 1.7 percent in August from a year ago, and butter and margarine increased 2.1 percent.
Via the AP