Coronavirus In Minnesota: Pandemic May Be Driving Up Grocery Prices
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MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Shelves in grocery stores appear to be better stocked than last month, but it's the price tag some shoppers are keeping a close eye on now.
The United States Department of Agriculture released its monthly report Wednesday, which showed retail prices nationwide went up in several categories from February to March, including milk, eggs and certain meats -- but it's unclear if the pandemic is to blame.
A trip to the grocery store has changed over the past several weeks, from the social distancing between customers, to limits on popular items. But the one difference that will always grab a shoppers attention is a shift in price.
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Milk and eggs often fill shoppers' carts, and both saw a slight increase from February to March. Milk went up 5 cents a gallon, while eggs went up 8 cents per dozen.
Some meat prices jumped as well. Uncooked ground beef went up 7 cents per pound, while ham jumped to about 24 cents per pound.
For shoppers like Jeffrey Buffington, exactly how much they're spending isn't as concerning as seeing an essential item or food out of stock.
"The visual impact of seeing an empty shelf hits a lot harder," Buffington said. "Prices, you kind of get used to seeing fluctuate a lot."
WCCO reached out to the Minnesota Grocers Association to learn the impact of the price increases and see if the pandemic might be the cause, but did not hear back.