286
you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[-] Stalinwolf@lemmy.ca 20 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago)

I have managed a produce department for six years and watched it happen myself. The price increases aren't being decided at the store level, though you'd be hard pressed to convince most crotchety old ladies that the managers don't gather every week in crimson robes by candlelight and chant the latest price hikes. They are absolutely happening via the warehouses and the middlemen, though.

Everyone seeks to maintain or increase their margins, beginning with the farmers (who are likely adjusting for costs), and hiked greatly by the middlemen to make a larger profit. By the time the oranges are in the store's hands, that 30% margin the store needs to maintain a profit is now calculated off a much higher number to begin with. All I can really do (and I'm lucky, as not every owner/operator allows this kind of autonomy) is shop around various third-parties and local businesses to try to secure the best price I possibly can, and in turn offer the best sale I possibly can at the store level. This gets a lot harder during the winter months, though.

As a shopper myself, however, I don't really see this at many other stores. Especially those operating under corporate rules, like Sobeys, Safeway and Superstore. I sell apples at 1.69 to 1.99 /lb., while my competitors sell them at 2.49 to 2.99 /lb. year round. Why people continue to buy their produce there I couldn't say.

this post was submitted on 18 Jun 2024
286 points (97.0% liked)

A Boring Dystopia

9748 readers
109 users here now

Pictures, Videos, Articles showing just how boring it is to live in a dystopic society, or with signs of a dystopic society.

Rules (Subject to Change)

--Be a Decent Human Being

--Posting news articles: include the source name and exact title from article in your post title

--Posts must have something to do with the topic

--Zero tolerance for Racism/Sexism/Ableism/etc.

--No NSFW content

--Abide by the rules of lemmy.world

founded 1 year ago
MODERATORS