Article

2024-02-27 Home Front: Politix

[USA Today/AP, hat tip to Dallas Morning News] Inflation has changed the way many Americans shop. Now, those changes in consumer habits are helping bring down inflation.
Or, at least the rate of inflation
Fed up with prices that remain about 19%, on average, above where they were before the pandemic, consumers are fighting back. In grocery stores, they’re shifting away from name brands to store-brand items, switching to discount stores or simply buying fewer items like snacks or gourmet foods.
"19%, on average", you say? I wonder what items went into the 'average'.

More Americans are buying used cars, too, rather than new, forcing some dealers to provide discounts on new cars again. But the growing consumer pushback to what critics condemn as price-gouging has been most evident with food as well as with consumer goods like paper towels and napkins.
And electric vehicles. Consumers speak louder than the Green New Deal.
Many consumers have reacted like Stuart Dryden, who lives in Arlington, Virginia. On a recent trip to his regular grocery store, Dryden pointed out big price disparities between Kraft Heinz-branded products and their store-label competitors, which he now favors.
Life is choices, Stuart. Why'd you wait so long to save money?
Dryden has taken other steps to save money: A year ago, he moved into a new apartment after his previous landlord raised up his rent by about 50%. His former apartment had been next to a relatively pricey grocery store, Whole Foods. Now, he shops at a nearby Amazon Fresh and has started visiting the discount grocer Aldi every couple of weeks.
Adam Smith's 'invisible hand' at work. Hurray, capitalism!

Posted by Bobby 2024-02-27 00:00|| || Front Page|| [11137 views ] Top
File under: Tin Hat Dictators, Presidents for Life, & Kleptocrats

#1 .....store-label competitors, which he now favors.

You don't say ?

Posted by Besoeker 2024-02-27 03:18|| 2024-02-27 03:18|| Front Page Top

#2 Adam Smith's 'invisible hand' at work. Hurray, capitalism!

Which is an anathema to the bureaucratic regulation writers of the Central Planning Committee aka Washington.

Posted by Procopius2k 2024-02-27 08:31|| 2024-02-27 08:31|| Front Page Top

#3 The inflation rate is slowing means that Joe is destroying us at a slower rate. Metaphorically, consumers have learned to take showers in the middle of the night.

Posted by Super Hose 2024-02-27 11:48|| 2024-02-27 11:48|| Front Page Top

#4 When I was at business school, we read endless cases that included the phrase, "Company X manufactured products for it own brand and also for the private label market." The brand names are the same as the store label.

Posted by Tom 2024-02-27 13:40|| 2024-02-27 13:40|| Front Page Top

#5 In reality, Tom, what Company X provides is generally not the manufactured product in a private label package, but use of their equipment and skilled workers that would otherwise be sitting idle. The formulae and raw materials are provided by the private label, and may differ markedly from what goes into the brand product.

Posted by trailing wife 2024-02-27 13:57|| 2024-02-27 13:57|| Front Page Top

#6 And ironically, when the cheaper private label product made with Company X's equipment and labor cuts into their sales, they can't just stop, because what the contracting private label pays is real money too.

Posted by M. Murcek 2024-02-27 14:14|| 2024-02-27 14:14|| Front Page Top

#7 Paying insurance.

Rather have previous year's larger percentage of a smaller number, than this years smaller percentage of a larger number.

Posted by swksvolFF 2024-02-27 15:50|| 2024-02-27 15:50|| Front Page Top

08:38 Gleng Whaick2262
08:35 Gleng Whaick2262
08:35 Gleng Whaick2262
08:33 Gleng Whaick2262
08:32 Gleng Whaick2262
08:31 Gleng Whaick2262
08:28 Gleng Whaick2262
08:24 Matt
08:20 SteveS
07:43 Procopius2k
07:42 BrerRabbit
07:42 Procopius2k
07:39 Procopius2k
07:36 Procopius2k
07:35 Procopius2k
07:34 trailing wife
07:31 Procopius2k
07:30 NN2N1
07:22 NN2N1
07:18 trailing wife
07:14 Richard Aubrey
07:10 NN2N1
07:09 Besoeker
07:03 NN2N1