“It feels terrible,” Lin told The Wall Street Journal, adding that he even complained to his butcher.
In Cincinnati, Mark Bookbinder, 68, said he’s watched prices climb on staples like deli turkey, cereal and yogurt — calling it “perturbing and upsetting.”
The blame doesn’t fall on a single shelf. Rising commodity costs and President Trump’s tariffs on imported goods are driving up prices on household staples like olive oil, shrimp, and bananas. (3) Whatever’s fueling the surge, grocery chains say frustrated shoppers are changing how they spend, what they buy and where they shop.
How are shoppers changing their habits?
While grocery prices haven’t quite reached the record highs seen during the pandemic, they’re high enough to make people rethink their habits in the food aisle. (3)
Grocery chains report shoppers are buying smaller quantities of items, using more coupons and sticking to their lists.
“We see them sticking closer to their shopping list, maybe not buying that extra item, that extra bottle of whatever,” Albertsons Chief Executive Susan Morris said on a recent earnings call.
Other retailers report customers making more frequent trips to the store but buying less each time — buying only what they need to cook at home and focusing on fresh produce and basics. Dirk Van de Put, CEO of Oreo-maker Mondelez International, said grocery spending hasn’t increased in more than two years.
“They have no inclination to increase their spending,” Van de Put told The Wall Street Journal. “They’re unsure about what’s going to happen, when those tariff effects really are going to hit them.”
Some shoppers who were once loyal to local stores and butchers are turning to bulk retailers and warehouse clubs to save a few bucks. Costco, Sam’s Club and BJ’s are expanding to meet higher membership demand as consumers look for deals not just on groceries, but also on household goods and gas. (4)
For some, the savings make it possible to splurge a little again. Patrick Bannon, a 29-year-old Boston graduate student, said he joined Costco to save on essentials like groceries and trash bags but now he finds himself adding snacks, fancy coffee and even clothing to his cart.
