What tracking one Walmart store's prices for years taught us about the economy

[DGUtley]

What tracking one Walmart store's prices for years taught us about the economy

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Look inside your shopping cart to spot the impact of the world's ebbs and flows: It's in the wood pulp in your paper towels, the petroleum in your frozen meal container, the fruits and veggies that survived floods or droughts.


So, a shopping basket at a Walmart in Georgia offers a view into the U.S. economy — and the inflation that has roiled it. It's a bit painful if you're shopping for aluminum foil or eggs. But not so bad if you want cabbage or Wonder bread. And you may even find a relative bargain on shrimp.


In NPR's shopping cart of several dozen items, prices went up 23% on average since mid-2019. That's when NPR last visited this Walmart, in Liberty County just south of Savannah. At the time, we traced how the Trump administration's trade war with China was affecting prices.



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What one Walmart store's prices taught us about the economy : NPR

[OLD GUY IN FLORIDA]

This reduction in size of the product being sold is across the board and for all companies. This is how joe biden is able to claim inflation is being reduced. Don't raise prices, just cut back on what you are getting.

[DGUtley]

This reduction in size of the product being sold is across the board and for all companies. This is how joe biden is able to claim inflation is being reduced. Don't raise prices, just cut back on what you are getting.

Agree. I went out yesterday (b/c the Mrs. is still laid up from her double bypass) to get groceries. Ziploc bags - 19 instead of 20 in a box. Tide. Almond Milk. Oreos. It seems to be a theme these days.

[OLD GUY IN FLORIDA]

Agree. I went out yesterday (b/c the Mrs. is still laid up from her double bypass) to get groceries. Ziploc bags - 19 instead of 20 in a box. Tide. Almond Milk. Oreos. It seems to be a theme these days.

Sending an orchid to the missus to aid in her recovery. Orchids are better than roses, they last longer.

[RMNIXON]

This reduction in size of the product being sold is across the board and for all companies. This is how joe biden is able to claim inflation is being reduced. Don't raise prices, just cut back on what you are getting.

And the prices are up even on smaller packaging!

[LWW]

I saw a sign recently:

JOE BIDEN 2023 HAPPY HOUR
ONE FOR THE PRICE OF TWO

[Newpublius]

Agree. I went out yesterday (b/c the Mrs. is still laid up from her double bypass) to get groceries. Ziploc bags - 19 instead of 20 in a box. Tide. Almond Milk. Oreos. It seems to be a theme these days.

Next time perhaps give some consideration to the store brands particularly Great Value.

So for soda, Sam's Cola, its awful, don't get it, but Dr. Perky/Dr. Thunder is every bit as good as Dr Pepper, Great Value Diet Cream Soda is actually awesome and the Sprite/Ginger ale also very good.

I'm convinced there are products coming out of the same factory and just getting a different label put on them at this point.

Now, as for Tide, I mean c'mon. My wife is a big Tide fan. She also likes SMART water. Annoys the living $#@! out of me to be honest. My secret? She buys the large SMART bottles and so she'll drink them here, drink them there, another sip, she doesn't finish them all at once. So I do partially refill those SMART bottles with filtered water. Yes, I do that. She also buys Tide and I buy the SUN Triple Clean which is far/far cheaper and yes, I pour that $#@! right in the TIDE bottle to reduce her consumption of that as well.

[Cotton1]

Next time perhaps give some consideration to the store brands particularly Great Value.

So for soda, Sam's Cola, its awful, don't get it, but Dr. Perky/Dr. Thunder is every bit as good as Dr Pepper, Great Value Diet Cream Soda is actually awesome and the Sprite/Ginger ale also very good.

I'm convinced there are products coming out of the same factory and just getting a different label put on them at this point.

The store brand cold and hot cereals are great too