A man on TikTok has recreated an experiment in which he demonstrates the rise in grocery prices now and found a sharp increase compared to 2019 and 2000.
In a video posted last week, content creator Gary Bird (@thegarybird) compares the prices of household staples at Whole Foods to the cost of the same staples in 2019. Showing a cart full of groceries, he begins, “In 2019, all of this food in here only cost $87.50.” He adds that in 2000, the same items cost only $67.
Bird then carries out his experiment by filling up a cart with groceries, buying items for a family of four— milk, eggs, bread, vegetables, meat, and other essentials. He then rings up his items at a self-checkout scanner.
Standing with his cart, receipt in hand, he says “Prices have gone up a lot since COVID.” He then shares the final total for the shopping trip: $117, a 36% increase from 4 years ago.
@thegarybird How Much Were Groceries in 2019? How much has pricing at Whole Foods changed over the years? I got a lot of talk from only loading up on junk food last time, so this time I went the other way – the most expensive healthy food you could find. We compared prices to not only 2001, but also pre-covid (2019). What do you think? You think Inflation has been destroying the economy? #thegarybird #inflation #wholefoods ♬ original sound – thegarybird
Bird urged viewers to share their own grocery expenses, and commenters weighed in.
One user, who explained that they have a family of five, wrote “We went from spending $800-900 a month to $1200-1400 and that’s WITH budgeting, couponing, and visiting several stores. How fun…”
“Over $550 a month for 3 people,” another shared.
Across the comments, the most common price reported for a week’s worth of groceries was around $300, averaging out to about $1200 a month. Many commenters explained that even with coupons and shopping for items on sale, they’ve struggled to reduce their grocery spending.
The USDA’s Economic Research Service wrote in their 2023/24 Food Price Outlook that the cost of food items is projected to increase by 5.8%, described as an “above historical-average rate.” The article predicts that in 2024, food prices will “decelerate but not decline,” with an average increase of 2.1%.
While some have explained that the steep rise in food prices is due to inflation, Forbes has reported that the increase actually outpaced general inflation. There are several possible explanations given, among them the war in Ukraine, a leading agricultural producer, and the affects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
However, many claim that the rise in grocery prices can be attributed to price gouging.
An article from Time Magazine quotes former U.S. Labor Secretary Robert Reich, “Follow the money, and the story is clear. Food corporations are using inflation as cover to jack up prices.”
In recent years, food production and retail corporations have reported staggering profit increases. Kraft-Heinz reported a profit increase of 488%, earning $887 million last year. Tyson Foods more than doubled its yearly profits.
The Statista Research Department reported that in 2021, the rate of inflation outstripped the rate of wage growth. Although wages are slowly rising, they have not been able to bridge the gap, as inflation has also continued to rise. According to Statista, this “has not been enough to curb the impact of even higher inflation rates.”
Coupled with the phenomenon of shrinkflation, in which corporations subtly reduce the amount of product offered while simultaneously raising prices, this means that many consumers are struggling to make ends meet. Yahoo! Finance reported that nearly 60% of Americans are unable to afford sufficient groceries.
Many commenters on Bird’s video expressed frustration with the state of rising grocery costs.
“36% rise in 4 years for basic necessities is absolutely insane and so sad,” one user wrote.
“Everything goes up except my wage,” another shared.
The Daily Dot reached out to Bird via Instagram direct message and Whole Foods Market via email.
