There are many factors currently causing higher prices and smaller amounts of supplies in US stores and elsewhere— from issues with supply chains to the ongoing war in Ukraine. As reported by CNET, the following items may be hit with “shrinkflation” this fall:
Food and Condiments:
Grocery Shortages: Several popular grocery store staples are experiencing shortages this year, including:
Baby Formula
Beer
Bread
Butter
Champagne
Halloween Candy
Mustard
Peaches
Pet Food
Popcorn
Sriracha
Tampons
Tomatoes
Turkeyhttps://t.co/UcVIWtYHr2— The Lady Red- the night is dark and full of terror (@The_Lady_Red) October 16, 2022
Beer & Champagne
As the publication reports, contamination at a reservoir in Mississippi has “caused a carbon dioxide shortage that’s impacting brewers across the US,” and craft breweries in particular. Some customers are paying “three to four times as much for carbonation,” Axios reported, while others are planning to switch to nitrogen. In addition, the US is at the beginning of a “Champagne shortage that could last several years,” Wine Enthusiast reported in December 2021.
Ketchup & Mustard
According to TODAY, a severe drought in California has devastated the state’s tomato crop in 2022. This means that household tomato-related products such as “ketchup, salsa and tomato sauce” could become even more expensive or harder to find, CNET notes. USA Today reported that Europe is also experiencing a shortage of mustard due to climate change and the Ukraine crisis, which can eventually reach the US.
Supply-chain issues, the war in Ukraine and other factors have fueled shortages and price hikes in everything from sugar and pasta to beer and butter. https://t.co/TrkEuliyjJ
— CNET (@CNET) October 17, 2022
Halloween Candy
With spooky season in full swing, it’s helpful to keep in mind that some trick-or-treat favorites may be more difficult to locate in stores than others. Hershey CEO Michele Buck said back in July that the company “will not be able to fully meet consumer demand” for Halloween candy this year, according to CNN. Cocoa and milk have been affected by supply-chain issues, and Hershey’s, according to the Food Network, saw a double-digit increase in demand between this year and last year. They then had to prioritize, CNET reports, manufacturing either its regular products or Halloween and Christmas treats. “We had a strategy of prioritizing everyday on-shelf availability,” Buck said, and CNN reported. “It was a tough decision.”
Bread & Butter
As Earth.org notes that Russia and Ukraine are the “world’s largest wheat exporters, responsible for 30% of the global wheat supply,” the ongoing invasion of Ukraine can threaten this supply and affect foods like bread, which CBS reports is already facing price increases. According to the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, the average price of butter was $3.67 per pound in January 2022, and by September, it was up to $4.70 per pound. Analysts say, CNET adds, that the the rising cost of “feed and labor shortages on dairy farms” are what is causing this.
Taken from my local grocery store… food shortages for babies are REAL. Focus and DEMAND BETTER, AMERICA. pic.twitter.com/iyi0OLxNbN
— Kathy Barnette&(@Kathy4Truth) June 1, 2022
Turkey
The USDA reported that a recent bird flu epidemic resulted in more than 5 million turkeys being killed, meaning that there could be a shortage of turkey over the holidays, or potentially higher prices for them around Thanksgiving, experts say.
Popcorn
Wall Street Journal indicates that there is an upcoming popcorn shortage thanks to supply chain issues, and farmers are also expected to plant less corn this year due to a drought. Many are expected to plant more soybeans instead.
Hot sauce, tampon shortages lead growing list of out-of-stock items https://t.co/rcw6jaBrHb #FoxBusiness
— Tom Fitton (@TomFitton) June 19, 2022
Others:
Baby Formula
According to CNET, Abbott Nutrition had to temporarily shutter a Sturgis, Michigan, plant manufacturing baby formula after “several infants developed serious bacterial infections.” This closure then resulted in major baby formula shortages across the US. While the factory reopened in June of this year, it had to close again thanks to a massive flood several weeks later.
Pet Food
Finding food for your furry friends might also feel like a daunting task in some parts of the US, as KSTP reports. Supply chain issues have led to a shortage of canned wet dog and cat food that isn’t supposed to improve in the near future.
Tampons
Back in April, Procter & Gamble said that the sourcing and transportation of materials they need to make tampons have been “costly and highly volatile.” This, CNET indicates, can make it harder to find tampons on your local store’s shelves, but the company did say it is currently working to increase supply.
