A proposed inquiry would "shed light" on why grocery prices remain so high
  • Capt. Wolf@lemmy.world
    981·
    9 months ago

    A proposed inquiry would “shed light” on why grocery prices remain so high

    Greed…

    The answer, as for so many others, is greed.

    • Pistcow@lemm.ee
      31·
      9 months ago

      worked for a food distrobutor during covid and they had a meeting about jacking up prices on covid supplies and all other items. At the time I said the covid supplies was a big issue. Nope, full steam ahead. I even did a whistlr blower complaint to the FTC with all the documents. Nothing ever came of it.

      • Tujio@lemmy.world
        24·
        9 months ago

        My work magically got a supply of N95 masks early in Covid. It was unexpected, so we didn’t have a plan or a system for them. Didn’t think to have a limit or anything.

        A crew from Albert Lee bought every single one, took them back to their store, and sold them at 100% markup.

  • return2ozma@lemmy.worldOP
    33·
    9 months ago

    On Thursday, during a virtual public meeting hosted by the FTC and the Department of Justice, Khan said the probe would “shed light” on why prices and profits at grocery chains “remain so high even as costs appear to have come down.”

    "We want to make sure that major businesses are not exploiting their power to inflate prices for American families at the grocery store,” she said.

    Khan plans to formally ask the FTC to launch an inquiry, but the process will only proceed if the commission votes in favor of it. Should the inquiry gain approval, the agency would require big grocery chain operators to provide information on their sales, costs, and profits for commonly purchased items.

  • BeautifulMind ♾️@lemmy.worldEnglish
    19·
    9 months ago

    It’s ABOUT TIME

    Srsly, watching grocery chains consolidate and regional prices for staples like butter and cheese go up by 50% in a matter of months got me pretty mad- I mean, on the one hand those things didn’t become 50% more attractive or more expensive to make, they just didn’t have to compete on price. It was really the fact that they could do it and get away with it that hurt the most.

  • conditional_soup@lemm.ee
    141·
    9 months ago

    It’s my understanding that grocers themselves tend to operate is miserably thin margins, especially when they don’t have the kind of leverage of large, national chains. I know someone whose family operated a community grocery and they were actually relieved when the building caught fire. They didn’t depend on the income, it was just something they took over to serve the community, and it ended up feeling like an anchor around their neck. Seems likely that this is largely an issue that lies with the food producers.

    • blazera@lemmy.worldEnglish
      4·
      9 months ago

      Thin margins has always just been corporate propaganda. Those margins have widened alongside the wealth gap for decades.

  • bowser1035@lemmy.world
    9·
    9 months ago

    This investigation should be over quickly. Whereas at the beginning of Covid, it was cheaper to shop at Kroger than the local grocery co-op and the fresh thyme, both are now cheaper than Kroger by ~$50/week for a family of 3. The same carton of eggs at fresh thyme is half the price of Kroger. Make it make sense!!!