Shoppers undeterred by rising food prices ahead of Memorial Day celebrations
Despite the well-known fact that prices have continued to skyrocket in nearly every market across the United States, shoppers still hit local grocery stores in full force ahead of Memorial Day celebrations.
Supermarket food prices have jumped 10.4% since April of 2021, according to the Consumer Price Index, but that didn't stop the shelves from emptying at an alarming rate as preparations for barbecues and picnics were underway.
"I think we spent like $300, normally it would be like, $150 back home," said Rebecca Stewart, on vacation from Idaho with her family and fully aware of the price difference between states. "They are a lot higher here."
Notable fan favorites to experience a drastic price increase included hot dogs, chicken wings, ground beef, burger patties, bread, buns and beer.
Chicken saw the largest increase at nearly 18%, followed by beef (15%), bread/buns (10%) and beer (5%).
Though many stores advertised a variety of sales, some shoppers were a little skeptical of whether the prices were actually decreased.
"There's a lot of stuff that's 40% off right now, there's like good sales," said Jamie Piotrowicz, a shopper at Ralph's in Marina Del Rey. "I think things are a little more expensive, but at least they're trying to make it seem like it's on sale."
Still, Memorial Day celebrations were expected to return to pre-pandemic levels, accompanied by the busiest travel weekend since 2019 with more than 39 million Americans expected to hit the roads and skies for the weekend.
