SAN ANTONIO – Grocery shoppers are finally feeling some relief at the register — if only a small taste.
12 On Your Side has tracked the prices of the same grocery items for the past three and a half years, and a new price check shows that while prices are still up, foodflation has slowed.
Checking out is still adding up, though.
“Everything has gone up,” said Deborah Neil. “There is nothing inexpensive anymore.”
Shopper Elizabeth Gonzales says she’s noticed plenty of price jumps, from mayo to meats.
“When you pay $6.99 for ground beef, that’s a lot,” she said.
But it’s not just the beef for the burgers that’s gone up in recent years. So have the condiments.
“I’ve got a 3-year-old, so I’ve got ketchup going on here,” Gonzales said. " It’s also $4 on ketchup. It’s just, like, a lot.”
She’s not wrong.
12 On Your Side crunched the numbers on the same 47 groceries for curbside pickup at the same store and found that the same cart that cost $198.09 at the end of 2020 now costs $265.72, a 34 percent increase.
But hang on. The increase compared to one year ago is a much more modest 2.6 percent, evidence that some food prices have moderated.
Thirteen items dropped in price compared to 12 months ago. The cost of a loaf of bread dropped 11 percent, soaring mayonnaise prices turned around and dropped 9 percent, and russet potatoes dropped 33 percent.
Food economists say many prices should keep easing up, which is good news after inflation’s big bite.
Some prices have skyrocketed since the end of 2020. Take breakfast. Oatmeal is up 57 percent, eggs are up 8 percent, and bacon is up 13 percent. The price of orange juice will squeeze you for an extra 36 percent, and that morning coffee costs 46 percent more, according to the price check of specific items.
There are a couple of stunners, too. A 20-pack of Coca-Cola is up 75 percent since 2020, and olive oil is up a whopping 85 percent.
One item that is cheaper than three and half years ago? Spinach.
Note: The price list below is for curbside grocery pickup from the same store. In-store prices tend to be a bit lower.