4 ms·
Food inflation is far worse in grocery stores than restaurants
- nazgulnarsil 15y agoI've been deeply weirded out at how the costs of feeding myself from the grocery store have approached the prices of cheap restaurant food (mexican and chinese food places primarily). Not that it's actually cheaper, but the marginal cost of buying, preparing, and cleaning up outweighs the price savings in the case of complicated meals far far more than it used to.
- Hyena 15y agoThis is very true. Even for uncomplicated meals, though, it seems to work out better and the grocery store's competitiveness collapses when (1) it's not Wal-Mart, (2) involves meat, (3) isn't for a family of 51.
- r00fus 15y agoJust like with childcare options, as you increase the number of [dependents,eaters] in-house options become more economical. A family of 3 (w/ 1 kid) with two working couples finds daycare centers and eating out much more economical than say a family of 5 (w/ 3 kids) in the same boat... in fact, in the latter case, it makes sense to have one parent stay at home just to feed/care for the kids (usu. the wife).
- shalmanese 15y agoseems like the real takeaway from this is that groceries are more sensitive than restaurants to raw food costs because they have less ancillary overhead (rent, labor etc.)
- finisterre 15y agoOne reason for this is that food prices are only one component of restaurant prices. You're also paying for the wait staff, brand, surroundings and a lot more.
- goodside 15y agoWe haven't seen a phenomenon like this since, my God, 2007 through 2009. And then earlier from 2003 through 2004. But, ignoring those anomalies, this hasn't happened even once since, let's see, 2002. Truly amazing stuff here.