Yeah, grocery stores and farmers are price gouging...... 🤣 . You ****ers will believe anything.. I guess everyone agreed from 2016-2020 not to do so? That was nice of them. Weird how this has never been needed before---But suddenly, its a problem. Odd it wasn't so just a few short years ago....But now Kamala to the rescue.
You really believe this shit?
Yes I believe that a global health crisis upset recognized and projected buying patterns that were established over the years and maximized but causing insane amounts of stress to fundamental supply chain management.
From having a pretty long career in merchandising and inventory management, vendors are constantly trying to get retailers to rase prices and take cost increases.
Not official but my personal opinion on why our inflation was in decent control was a direct response to the rise and domination of Walmart. They were a major competitor of mine but they built their brand on being a low cost leader and since they were the largest and most populated shop, they were the ones that literally forced other retailers to be competitive with pricing.
I remember vendors yelling at me for my grocery retails being so low in various markets like my home town and why I wasn't raising those retails. The simple answer was because we comp shop with Walmart. They would say 'but there isn't a Walmart there and you are leading the area in cost savings' which I would reply ....yeah they're not there.....yet.
The last thing I wanted to have happen was for Walmart to open in a new community and then I'd have to match their prices and fire off a zillion price cut labels. Meaning it's very obvious why we're cutting out retails....ohh it's because Walmart opened in the area!!
That basically feeds the Walmart legacy and identity as the low cost leader.
So yeah, I lived that and understood their influence on retail prices.
In the past decade plus, Amazon, online shopping has kicked Walmart in the nuts. I can tell you Amazon is definitely not a low cost leader so, if it or as it becomes the bell weather core shopping entity, retail prices are more vulnerable vs having Walmart be that protector.
Again I don't like Walmart and understand a ton of their terrible flaws and what they've done to small businesses as an example, but I can't deny the influence they had on pricing which I don't think they have anymore (from the point that they aren't as popular as before I don't think).
So yeah, coming from that environment I totally believe the pandemic gave retailers an easy excuse to take advantage of a long with having serious legit issues with supply chain and other forecasted but relied on metrics being completely blown up because of shopping patterns.