Grocery Shopping Habits Shift Amid Record Price Increases
WHO:
AP News - Apral Jack, 50, resident of Lexington, Massachusetts.
AP News - Ada Torres, 60, resident of Cleveland, Texas.
AP News - Jack Chang, 33, self-employed barber in San Francisco.
AP News - Amanda Tabadero, 28, pastry chef from Kāneʻohe, Hawaii.
AP News - Jared Bernstein, senior policy fellow at the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy.
AP News - Matt Hamory, leader of the global grocery practice at AlixPartners.
AP News - Sally Lyons Wyatt, global executive vice president at Circana.
WHAT:
AP News - The price of a pound of ground beef reached $6.82 in June, a 79% increase since the beginning of 2019.
AP News - Americans spent an average of 12.9% of their pretax incomes on food in 2024, with the lowest earning one-fifth of U.S. households spending 33%.
AP News - The cost of shipping goods between the Hawaiian Islands has skyrocketed amid rising fuel prices tied to the Iran conflict and financial instability within the shipping company.
AP News - The price of milk in Hawaii is now $9 a gallon at a locally owned supermarket chain.
AP News - Chuck roast for Hawaii-style beef stew has increased to roughly $10 a pound from $7.99 or less before the pandemic.
ABC News - The average weekly earnings of full-time workers have increased slightly faster than grocery prices since 2019.
AP News - The price of a pound of ground beef reached $6.82 in June, a 79% increase since the beginning of 2019.
AP News - In St. Louis, food for home use cost 2% more in June compared to a year earlier; in San Francisco, it was 6%.
AP News - The cost of shipping goods between the Hawaiian Islands has skyrocketed amid rising fuel prices tied to the Iran conflict.
AP News - The price of milk in Hawaii is now $9 a gallon at a locally owned supermarket chain.
AP News - Chuck roast for Hawaii-style beef stew has increased to roughly $10 a pound from $7.99 or less before the pandemic.
Boston.com News - Buying food to eat at home has increased by 33% since the beginning of 2019.
AP News - The price of a pound of ground beef reached $6.82 in June, a 79% increase since the beginning of 2019.
AP News - Americans spent an average of 12.9% of their pretax incomes on food in 2024.
AP News - As of April, 37 million Americans were enrolled in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), a 12% decline from a year earlier.
WHERE:
AP News - Lexington, Massachusetts, where Apral Jack shops.
AP News - Cleveland, Texas, where Ada Torres lives.
AP News - San Francisco, California, where Jack Chang resides.
AP News - Kāneʻohe, Hawaii, where Amanda Tabadero works.
WHEN:
AP News - Apral Jack ordered deli meat at Stop & Shop on July 6, 2026.
AP News - Ada Torres mentioned that five pounds of ground beef costs almost $20.
AP News - Jack Chang cut hair while holding his 2-year-old son on July 13, 2026.
AP News - Amanda Tabadero noted that Maui-grown strawberries and blueberries cost $11 per pound, up from $7.99 in 2024.
WHY:
AP News - The increase in grocery prices is attributed to the coronavirus pandemic, supply chain issues, droughts, hurricanes, bird flu, tariffs, and the war in Ukraine.
AP News - Financial pressure has led consumers to develop strategies for grocery shopping, such as couponing and comparison shopping.
HOW:
AP News - Jack Chang and his partner economize by buying generic brands of food and medicine, and they also take leftover lunch items from their child's preschool.
AP News - Apral Jack uses an app to find deals and builds her shopping list around sales.
AP News - Ada Torres substitutes more expensive items with cheaper alternatives, such as switching brands.
AP News - Jack Chang and his partner economize by buying generic brands and utilizing food assistance programs.
AP News - Jack Chang and his partner economize by buying generic brands of food and medicine, and they also take leftover lunch items from their child's preschool.
AP News - Apral Jack uses an app to find deals and builds her shopping list around sales.
AP News - Ada Torres substitutes more expensive items with cheaper alternatives, such as switching brands.
AP News - Jack Chang and his partner economize by buying generic brands and utilizing food assistance programs.
(UPDATED July 25, 2026 17:17 UTC)
The price of a pound of ground beef has surged to $6.82, marking a staggering 79% increase since early 2019, while milk in Hawaii is now priced at $9 a gallon at a local supermarket. In 2024, Americans allocated an average of 12.9% of their pretax incomes to food, with the lowest earning households spending a significant 33%. As families adjust to rising costs, many are turning to strategies like buying generic brands, using apps to find deals, and substituting expensive items with more affordable alternatives.
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(UPDATED July 25, 2026 14:26 UTC)
The average weekly earnings of full-time workers have been rising slightly faster than grocery prices since 2019, but consumers are still feeling the pinch. In June, the price of a pound of ground beef hit $6.82, marking a staggering 79% increase since early 2019, while in St. Louis, food costs for home use rose by 2% compared to last year, and in San Francisco, they surged by 6%. Amid these rising prices, Jack Chang and his partner have been economizing by opting for generic brands and taking leftover lunch items from their child's preschool.
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(UPDATED July 25, 2026 13:23 UTC)
Grocery prices have surged significantly, with the cost of a pound of ground beef reaching $6.82 in June, marking a staggering 79% increase since the beginning of 2019. In response to these rising costs, consumers like Apral Jack from Lexington, Massachusetts, are using apps to find deals, while others, like Ada Torres from Cleveland, Texas, are opting for cheaper alternatives to manage their grocery budgets. As of April, 37 million Americans were enrolled in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, reflecting a 12% decline from the previous year, as financial pressures continue to shape shopping habits across the country.