As usual the buck for any increases, whatever they are and whatever the cause, stops with the consumer. Does anyone ever think about some who do not work, they are retired and cannot work more hours to cover increased costs for the basics of life? Isn’t it about time those who seldom see a reduction in their incomes, took a cut as well to get the economy back on track? Why is it always the consumer month after month, year after year who has to stand these increases?
There’s definitely something wrong somewhere – do you have any comments about this?
Prices go up and prices go down, it has always been the same.
Always, since the very start of time.
As these things always do, they will once again settle down.
The free market is reliant on inputs all along the supply chain. If the price of any of those inputs, raw material, labour, land, etc increases or decreases then prices correspondingly go up or down (depending also on the profit margin). Scarcity of labour leads to increases in the cost of labour, which is the case with any scarce factor of production. Raw materials are one thing, but labour we can definitely influence reasonably easily. We need more labour and getting rid of this minimum threshold for getting skilled labour from the EU would certainly help. Otherwise we will have to get used to higher prices, shortages of things we take for granated and having less in the fridge etc.
Prices are quite often artificially low because of the buying power of the big supermarkets who pay farmers as little as possible for their produce.
Supermarkets are rarely your friend, I would not touch their so called fresh meat or fish with the proverbial bargepole, tasteless cr** and invariably a long way from fresh.
You are absolutely right.
There’s just one problem, which is that it is the bulk of British shoppers are consistently buying pretty much the cheapest they can from these supermarkets without giving any thought whatsoever as to how it is being sourced.
It has nothing to do with money because food is cheaper in real terms than it has ever been.
No, the majority of people just don’t care and would rather spend their dosh on Netflix; the latest iPhone; a new car ; a holiday; a takeaway or whatever other frippery grabs their fancy at the time than on ethically-sourced and supplied better-tasting and healthier food.
Until public opinion changes there is zero chance of changing the supermarkets’ domination of purchasing power, be that with the farmers or with other suppliers.
One moment here just because the supermarkets are shafting the farmers does not necessarily translate into cheaper prices for the consumer. There was an excellent documentary on the shenanigans the big boys get up to, will see if I can find it.
Another link (below) warns about permanent food shortages, on a positive note though that should at least solve the ‘obesity problem’ we seem to have in this country! That would also mean the NHS might have less problems with patients becoming unwell due to overeating and becoming obese!
I might be cynical but IMHO it was inevitable that the blame game would start so here’s a photo of American supermarket shelves and one of Australian ones, both taken recently.
Maybe Ian Wright from that Sky News report could tell us how the leaving EU nationals and Brexit have managed to affect food supplies in countries as far apart as the USA and Australia too?
How strange? We have two small shops in our village. No shortage of any food stuffs in either. Prices have risen, yes I agree but in these shops there is no shortage. Just three miles away there are two supermarkets. Most of the shelves are almost empty. What is going on? One sugestion is that supermarkets are deliberately keeping their shelves almost empty to prevent panic buying. I have noticed that although shelves are ALMOST empty, not completly empty. Where there was at one time twenty items there are now just ten.
I was in Morrisons earlier, and was really surprised to see a lot of empty shelves. They were filling the empty shelves with stock they had a surplus of, to cover up the spaces. It was mainly fresh stuff mind you, like fruit and some dairy that was scarce. The alcohol aisles were fine
They probably have a lot of stock in non perishables. These supermarkets plan ahead. But perishables have more fragile supply chains. It only takes one hiccup en route for the entire stock to be ruined even if in a fridge lorry.
Pixie I have been wondering if by Christmas time we will be giving oranges as Christmas presents seeing as they will be a luxury! I think I saw large oranges for 70p in a shop recently.
being a vegetarian who doesn’t buy processed food I can absorb the rise in the cost of vegetables.
I had to buy frozen ones! 