consumer prices

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Americans Put the Brakes on Their Spending Spree

Consumers turn cautious and retail sales slide after a spring binge to beat tariffs

(Newser) - Retail sales fell sharply in May as consumers pulled back from a spending surge earlier this year to get ahead of President Trump's sweeping tariffs on nearly all imports. Sales at retail stores and restaurants dropped 0.9% in May, the Commerce Department said Tuesday, after a decline of...

Amazon May Spell Out What Tariffs Are Costing You

Meanwhile, online retailer is bracing for price hikes on China-made products

(Newser) - Earlier this month, economic effects from the Trump administration's tariffs blitz hadn't yet made their way to Amazon, though that's been changing in recent days as vendors have started to raise their prices, stating that keeping their costs to consumers the same amid the trade war is...

Temu and Shein Have Some Bad News for Consumers

Chinese retailers say they'll be raising prices to offset Trump administration's tariffs

(Newser) - US customers who continue to buy from Chinese fast-fashion retailers Temu and Shein could soon be seeing higher prices for their orders. Both retailers have warned US customers of price increases beginning next week in response to US-imposed tariffs on Chinese imports, per the Guardian . On May 2, the "...

Key Inflation Indicator Rose in December

Consumer prices are up 2.6% year-on-year

(Newser) - An inflation gauge closely watched by the Federal Reserve rose slightly last month, the latest sign that some consumer prices remain stubbornly elevated, even as inflation is cooling in fits and starts. Friday's report from the Commerce Department showed that consumer prices rose 2.6% in December from a...

One Danger of Walmart: 'Monopsony'
One Danger of Walmart:
'Monopsony'
new studies
Dec 29, 2024 9:30 AM CST

One Danger of Walmart: 'Monopsony'

Research suggests company pays workers lower wages because they have few local alternatives

(Newser) - Two new studies suggest that having a Walmart in a particular neighborhood makes that neighborhood poorer, reports the Atlantic . The company and its advocates have long argued that Walmart's cheap prices provide an overall benefit to poor or middle-class families by saving them money on their grocery bills. But...

YouTube TV Has Bad News for Cord-Cutters
YouTube TV Has
Bad News for Cord-Cutters
in case you missed it
Dec 15, 2024 3:10 PM CST

YouTube TV Has Bad News for Cord-Cutters

Streaming television service is raising its monthly price $10 to $82.99—about as much as cable

(Newser) - The first part of YouTube TV's tweet on Thursday seemed innocuous enough. "We have always worked to offer the content you love, with features to enjoy the best of live TV," the streaming service noted. But of course there's a "but" coming: "To keep...

The Fed Has Its Final Data Point Before Rate-Cut Decision

US inflation ticked up in November, but a cut is still expected

(Newser) - Fueled by pricier used cars, hotel rooms, and groceries, inflation in the United States moved slightly higher last month in the latest sign that some price pressures remain elevated. Consumer prices rose 2.7% in November from a year earlier, up from a yearly figure of 2.6% in October....

Walmart CFO: We'll Likely Hike Prices if Trump Brings in Tariffs

And that's not the only company warning it may pass costs of Trump's import plan onto consumers

(Newser) - Walmart had a better-than-expected third quarter, but consumers might not reap the benefits of that for long if President-elect Trump's threatened tariffs on imports come to pass. Trump said during his campaign that he plans on imposing a 10% to 20% tariff on imports in general, with fees as...

5 Metro Areas Hit Hardest by Inflation

New York and San Francisco aren't among them

(Newser) - Unless you're buying booze in Miami or clothes in Baltimore, the price of everything has gone up since the pandemic, often by startling amounts. But the impact of inflation has been very uneven, with some areas seeing consumer prices rise well above the 22% average rise between January 2020...

Farm Bureau Calculates Cost of 2024 July Fourth Cookout

This year, it's a record-high $71.22

(Newser) - The American Farm Bureau is out with its annual cost calculation of a Fourth of July cookout, and the 2024 figure is the highest one yet. The AFB looks at how much it would cost to feed a gathering of 10 people with the following: cheeseburgers, chicken breasts, pork chops,...

Inflation Finally Moved in the Right Direction in April

Year-over-year inflation ticked down to 3.4%

(Newser) - Consumer inflation in the US cooled slightly last month after three elevated readings, likely offering a tentative sigh of relief for officials at the Federal Reserve but not bringing things to a level that would indicate a rate cut is nigh, reports the AP . Prices rose 0.3% from March...

Inflation Did Not Cooperate Last Month

Consumer prices ticked up as Biden administration hopes they ease

(Newser) - Consumer prices in the United States picked up last month, a sign that inflation remains a persistent challenge for the Federal Reserve and for President Biden's reelection campaign, both of which are counting on a steady easing of price pressures this year.
  • Slight increase: Prices rose 0.4% from
...

Gas Prices Drive Latest Inflation Increase

Labor Dept.'s new report is a mixed bag, with signs of continued cooling in consumer prices

(Newser) - A spike in gas prices pushed up inflation in August, yet most other costs rose at a more modest pace, evidence that consumer price increases overall are still cooling. In a set of conflicting data on Wednesday, the Labor Department said the consumer price index rose 3.7% in August...

Wall Street Likes Latest News on Consumer Prices

4.9% inflation was a tad less than expected

(Newser) - Consumer prices in the United States rose again in April, and measures of underlying inflation stayed high, suggesting that rising costs could persist for months to come—but the annual increase came in a hair under what was expected, cheering investors. The major points:
  • Prices rose 0.4% from March
...

Egg Producers' 'Egregious Profits' Raising Some Eyebrows

Farm Action wants Cal-Maine investigated over possible price gouging

(Newser) - A US senator has joined farmers in calling for an investigation to crack the problem of soaring egg prices . Government data shows the national average retail price for a dozen eggs reached $4.25 in December, for a 138% increase from the $1.79 average a year earlier, though the...

Watchdog Accuses Major Retailers of Price Gouging

With corporate profits at 50-year highs, consumer protection advocates are crying foul

(Newser) - In a new report, nonpartisan watchdog Accountable.US cries foul over massive profit increases by America’s top 10 retailers. Here is how CBS MoneyWatch sums up the group's report : “Instead of keeping prices stable for struggling families, corporations have overcharged Americans and prioritized profit.” Overall, the...

One Common Brand Bucks Inflation Trend

As 'LA Times' reports, AriZona Iced Tea has been 99 cents for 30 years and isn't changing

(Newser) - Nobody needs a headline to know prices are up. It’s obvious with pretty much everything involving price tags and supply chains, including the ready-to-drink iced tea market. While prices for other major products in the beverage aisle are up across the board, per the Los Angeles Times, there remains...

Latest Report Confirms Inflation Is Still Really Bad

Consumer prices jumped 7.5% last month compared with 12 months earlier

(Newser) - Inflation soared over the past year at its highest rate in four decades, hammering America’s consumers, wiping out pay raises, and reinforcing the Federal Reserve’s decision to begin raising borrowing rates across the economy. The Labor Department said Thursday that consumer prices jumped 7.5% last month compared...

Building That Billy Bookcase Is About to Get More Costly

Ikea announces it's raising prices an average of 9% globally amid supply chain issues

(Newser) - We'll be opening our wallets a little wider for the privilege of building our own furniture in 2022. Swedish retail giant Ikea has announced it's raising its prices next year, at an average of 9% worldwide, to contend with rising transportation and raw materials costs that Ingka Group,...

What July's Inflation Numbers Suggest Is Coming

Consumer prices are up, but at the slowest pace since February

(Newser) - Prices for US consumers rose last month, but at the slowest pace since February, a sign that Americans may gain some relief after four months of sharp increases that have imposed a financial burden on the nation's households. The key numbers from Wednesday's report from the Labor Department,...

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