Some small businesses are squeezed between rising costs and customers with other options

Apr 18, 2024
For restaurants and retailers in particular, it can lead to something the Federal Reserve's Beige Book calls "lumpy" pricing.
Restaurants and retailers don’t necessarily have to raise prices to protect their profit margins, says Adrienne Slack at the Atlanta Fed. They can also save money by cutting back.
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Restaurants outpacing grocery stores when it comes to inflation

Dec 25, 2023
Supermarkets and restaurants business relies on selling food. So why are prices rising more in the latter?
On average, labor costs eat up about 30% of a restaurant’s gross revenue.
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Why U.S. agricultural exports are down almost 20% from last year

Sep 29, 2023
In August, agricultural exports were about 20% lower than the same time a year ago, according to the Commerce Department. That's because export volumes have fallen, and ag prices are coming off of recent highs.
"We have soybean exports down, corn exports are down, wheat exports are down," said Naomi Blohm, senior market advisor with Total Farm Marketing.
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Food assistance funds for mothers and children are up for debate in Congress

Sep 6, 2023
While the White House is asking for more money for the Women, Infants, and Children program, a House bill would reduce WIC funds.
In addition to determining overall WIC funding, Congress has to decide whether to renew a boost in funds recipients can spend on fruits and vegetables.
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Labor costs are a key ingredient in food inflation

Aug 11, 2023
And consumers of all income levels are adopting creative strategies to make their dollars stretch farther.
Generally, only 15% of the price of something like peanut butter goes to the farmer who produced the raw ingredients, says Chris Barrett, aprofessor of agricultural and development economics at Cornell. More goes to the production and transporting of the final product.
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White House moves to stop alleged price gouging

Jul 19, 2023
Food inflation is a major complaint, but some farmers and companies say market forces will keep prices in check.
As grocery prices rose, many critics, including the White House, accused food companies of taking consumers for a ride.
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A muffin? That'll be $5.50. (Thank inflation.)

Jun 21, 2023
Inflation is cooling, but food prices are still much higher than they were a year ago. Bakery products, in particular.
Blue Sky Bakery in Brooklyn, New York, has had to raise its prices to keep up with its costs.
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For public good, not for profit.

One mom on what the end of additional SNAP benefits means for her family

Mar 21, 2023
Millions of people have had their benefits cut by at least $95 a month, at a time when food prices are up almost 10%.
Mansie Meikle with her 4-year-old daughter.
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What one egg producer says about how the industry is doing

Sam Krouse, co-CEO of MPS Egg Farms, says wholesale prices are down as farms recover from avian flu and consumer demand eases.
Sam Krouse, co-head of MPS Egg Farms, says the industry is recovering well from a widespread outbreak of avian flu that caused prices to skyrocket.
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Ending hunger a battle on many fronts, over many months, says CEO of Feeding America

Inflation, supply chain problems and wealth disparities remain barriers to solving hunger, says Claire Babineaux-Fontenot of Feeding America.
Residents of Bronx, New York, received food donations in September. "Making meaningful, sustainable progress by the end of this decade is doable. We have to choose to do it," says Claire Babineaux-Fontenot.
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