Candy makers, spooked by cocoa prices, go gummy for Halloween

Oct 25, 2024
Candy companies are producing more gummy and chewy treats, saving money and appealing to the tastes of younger consumers.
Along with the high cost of cocoa, consumer preferences have spurred the shift to gummy and chewy candies, says Jaclyn Peiser of The Washington Post.
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Inflation is coming down, but prices won't

Oct 3, 2024
Generally once prices rise, they don't go back down.
Despite lowering inflation, lowering prices mean other costs for business owners.
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This produce clerk finds groceries and gratitude at work

Sep 25, 2024
Natalie Adams in Everett, Washington finds her job as producer clerk "absolutely gratifying."
"I enjoy handling all the different products," said Natalie Adams about her job. "The citrus fruits are starting to come in again, and man, the box of lemons I opened up today was absolutely gorgeous."
Courtesy Sno Isle Food Co-Op

August CPI shows inflation's sticky in services

Sep 11, 2024
Airline tickets and eating out cost more in August than July. But price gains are easing in other previously sticky industries.
Airfares rose nearly 4% from July to August, according to the consumer price index.
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$10.24 for a burrito? Here’s why some restaurants don’t round up.

Jul 24, 2024
While you might expect the cost of a meal to end in "99," some businesses use unusual pricing to ensure they get the profit margins they want.
Some restaurants use specific prices to ensure they're getting the profit margins they want.
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Inflation's way down, but consumers still flinch at high prices, Fed observes

Jul 18, 2024
Price-sensitive shoppers are buying fewer or lower-quality items and retailers are offering discounts, according to the Beige Book.
Many shoppers are looking for discounts these days.
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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.
Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images

For public good, not for profit.

Some small businesses worry they've hit the limit on raising prices

Jul 11, 2023
It could signal that wage and other cost pressures are easing or that sales are weakening and the economy is slowing.
Downbeat sales expectations could cause more businesses to decide against another price hike, said Bill Dunkelberg, chief economist with the National Federation of Independent Business.
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Egg prices have doubled over the last year

Dec 26, 2022
Bird flu has decimated flocks. Meanwhile, demand for eggs has increased.
Bird flu has infected millions of chickens, putting stress on egg production and moving prices up.
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Consumer sentiment inched up in December — from all-time lows

Dec 23, 2022
The University of Michigan consumer sentiment index rose 5% from November, but was still 15% lower than one year ago.
Gas prices falling from their summer peaks have helped lift consumer sentiment — if only slightly.
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