Rising prices - Wow!

Babs2u said:
Do you think the reversal on tariffs will bring down food prices? Prices rarely go down once they have gone up but maybe.
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MACKTEXAS said:
No. The reversal will likely be circumvented.
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I'm hoping the repeal of the more egregious tariffs will bring down prices from importers and wholesale vendors (including the ones I purchase from for my small business).

The wholesale increases I've received were blamed directly on tariffs. I saw a 7% overall increase in June and 10% on top of that Jan 1st, 2026. The full explanation was tariffs.

So yes, I'm expecting prices to roll back some, or these suppliers are going to have some explaining to do.

If/when prices decrease, I'll absolutely pass those savings on to my customers. Why wouldn't I?
 
MACKTEXAS said:
No. The reversal will likely be circumvented.
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I agree!

I have adjusted to the idea of tariffs and found that they have little impact on me at this point in my life.

Sadly, tariffs without spending cuts are just adding fuel to our nations out of control spending habits and the national debt continues to climb.

The law of holes, or the first law of holes, is an adage which states: "If you find yourself in a hole, stop digging." 😉🤭😂
 
I saw a new hair cutting place opened in a little town near me so went online to check their prices. Yikes! Basic mens hair cut was $50, senior mens haircut was $40. I think the womens cuts started at $75 and up from there.

Is that what people are paying? I've been cutting my own for a few years but last time I went to Best Cuts I believe the senior price was $15 for a man. Guess I'll keep hacking away at home.
 
I was stunned as I walked into a Lowes yesterday. They had a wheelbarrow out front. Plastic tub on a metal frame, 2 nice big plastic or rubber wheels. Sign said "LOW' price of $249 (or was it $349?). Excuse me? It ought to be $59 full price, marked down to $49 on sale. Unbelievable. Again, I ask into the void "Who the heck buys this overpriced stuff?"
 
C50 said:
I saw a new hair cutting place opened in a little town near me so went online to check their prices. Yikes! Basic mens hair cut was $50, senior mens haircut was $40. I think the womens cuts started at $75 and up from there.

Is that what people are paying? I've been cutting my own for a few years but last time I went to Best Cuts I believe the senior price was $15 for a man. Guess I'll keep hacking away at home.
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When I see this gouging going in 'boutique' businesses, I figure the clients are people who are willing to waste their money on it, for various reasons. Maybe to be 'cool' or 'hip'. Surely they know they are being overcharged, one would think.

I checked AI, and the going price in my burg is $10 to $15 for a senior men's haircut. That's the cheapest haircut available, other options go all the way up to $90 for a premium Salon beard trim and hair styling (men's).

Been cutting my own hair for a long time.
 
StarSong said:
California wait staff received full minimum wage from their employers, tips are extra money for them. Once I learned that, I reduced my previous very generous tipping accordingly and don't feel guilty about it. I find it especially annoying to see recommended tips of 20% or more when I've ordered at a counter, picked up my food, and bussed my table.
Gimme a break.

Starbucks, I'm looking at you. (One of the many reasons I don't patronize them.)
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I go to a Chinese restaurant that has an all u can eat senior lunch buffet for $11.70. Lots of tasty food to choose from. A good deal, in my opinion. All the staff is Chinese. All they do for the customers is seat them, then come around and remove used plates, and of course, keep the serving trays full. I don't know what their pay structure is, but I leave a 15 to 20% tip, just because I want them to stay in business, (every little bit counts, right?) so I can keep getting my $11.70 senior lunch buffet, lol. The place is kept clean, too. The 'competing' Chinese restaurants in the area are not nearly as well kept up, and have less diverse food offerings.
 
RandomName said:
Seen at Wegmans a day ago: nicely packaged, in see through plastic box, green beans in olive oil with seasoning (precooked, perhaps). $18 for the box. weight was 1.5 pounds, so $12 a pound for prepared green beans. o_O :oops:
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I’m amazed at the prices on some of the Wegman’s grab ‘n’ go prices, even more amazed that people pay them. 😉🤭😂

I do manage to find a few items that feel like a good value compared to the cost of making a small quantity from scratch.
 
About six weeks ago, I promised to get back to you on the price increases I'd naively hoped would be rolled back due to the Supreme Court tariff ruling.

Today I confronted the difficult task of determining price increases we need to pass along to our (wholesale) customers. Very stressful.

With Jan-March being our slowest time of year, I delayed enacting new pricing despite having received my vendors' increases effective January 1st. Can't put it off any longer because we'll soon be receiving our customers' large bulk orders for 2026. No way we can absorb the increases. (I did warn their CFO in December that this was coming.)

I'd sincerely hoped the Supreme Court decision regarding tariffs would mean a rollback from 2025's increases, but not only did that not happen, the situation worsened.

The tariff sword continues to dangle over foreign heads of state, oil prices keep escalating (a barrel of oil is nearly double what it was a year ago), and who knows where the funds will come to finance this war.

I've shifted from hoping for price cuts to hoping I won't have to put through a second across-the-board later in 2026.

The price increases my customers will receive Tuesday are the third set I've had pass along in less than a year. We've seen an average 20% increase on almost all costs in 7 months. Even reducing our already conservative markup, we've had to raise our prices 11-16%.

Ugh...
 
@StarSong, you’re fortunate that you are well established and don’t have to keep your business. You can certainly understand it being really tough on small businesses that are marginal.
 
Jules said:
@StarSong, you’re fortunate that you are well established and don’t have to keep your business. You can certainly understand it being really tough on small businesses that are marginal.
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This is true. I feel for small businesses, especially specialty retailers. Candy shops, gift stores, high end fast food, etc.

High rent and labor costs along with increased prices for supplies are bad enough, but all that along with diminishing sales must be very disheartening.

I don't picture our business collapsing anytime soon, though one never knows. If it does, I'll bow out with grateful heart for the very long run we've had. For the past ten years we've strictly manufactured to order. We work from home and carry no inventory so our financial exposure at any given time is basically nil.
 
StarSong said:
About six weeks ago, I promised to get back to you on the price increases I'd naively hoped would be rolled back due to the Supreme Court tariff ruling.

Today I confronted the difficult task of determining price increases we need to pass along to our (wholesale) customers. Very stressful.

With Jan-March being our slowest time of year, I delayed enacting new pricing despite having received my vendors' increases effective January 1st. Can't put it off any longer because we'll soon be receiving our customers' large bulk orders for 2026. No way we can absorb the increases. (I did warn their CFO in December that this was coming.)

I'd sincerely hoped the Supreme Court decision regarding tariffs would mean a rollback from 2025's increases, but not only did that not happen, the situation worsened.

The tariff sword continues to dangle over foreign heads of state, oil prices keep escalating (a barrel of oil is nearly double what it was a year ago), and who knows where the funds will come to finance this war.

I've shifted from hoping for price cuts to hoping I won't have to put through a second across-the-board later in 2026.

The price increases my customers will receive Tuesday are the third set I've had pass along in less than a year. We've seen an average 20% increase on almost all costs in 7 months. Even reducing our already conservative markup, we've had to raise our prices 11-16%.

Ugh...
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I don't envy you having to make that choice Star! I've seen other small business owners discussing this dilemma on the news. Tough situation for the businesses and customers.
 
StarSong said:
While out yesterday with DD's (DD=Darling Daughter) family, DH & I treated for dinner at a fun but casual hot-dog eatery. 6 people.

DH & I each had an Impossible Food bratwurst - the others had beef hot dogs. All had cool toppings. We table-shared four side orders: french fries, tater tots, reuben-style tater tots and cole slaw. 3 beers - about 12 oz per, 1 soda, and 2 (free) waters. Food was delish, but it was an eye-popping $166 out the door. $27+/per person for hot dogs and fries?

Sure they were "fancy." Some had a slice of avocado, or BBQ sauce and grilled onions or some melted cheddar, maybe a few sprigs of arugula, a couple of basil leaves, or a couple of slices of bacon, but still... WHOA!!!

More lesson-learned than complaint: It would have cost me an hour's work and maybe $40 to make everything at home, plus there would be leftovers.

Is anyone else increasingly shocked by the steadily rising prices of groceries, dining out, car washes, streaming services, insurance, utilities, auto repairs, subscriptions, etc., etc.?
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My son and I were in the city yesterday when he bought a small beer for him and a small coffee for me..........$25.00 . Whoa.!!!!
 
C50 said:
I saw a new hair cutting place opened in a little town near me so went online to check their prices. Yikes! Basic mens hair cut was $50, senior mens haircut was $40. I think the womens cuts started at $75 and up from there.

Is that what people are paying? I've been cutting my own for a few years but last time I went to Best Cuts I believe the senior price was $15 for a man. Guess I'll keep hacking away at home.
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I remember my dad taking me to get a haircut at "Howard the Trader's" in Clearwater, Florida in the 1950's. It was primarily an auction house but they also had a barber shop. Haircuts were 45 cents. I think that might have been a special rate for kids under 12. The last store bought haircut I got was about 25 years ago. I think I paid $9 bucks plus a buck tip for it.
 
A wholesale greengrocer today... made a short video to explain to his customers that last Friday... a box of Broccoli cost him... £9.00 and change... the same box today cost his £24 from his supplier..£15.000 more in a week....... that's an increase in one week of 166%..... the same story with tomatoes, and the rest of his produce...

How on earth are customers going to afford this rise in fresh fruit and veggies... ? we can't...


have a look at what he says https://fb.watch/GiHwLw3Gyu/
 
StarSong said:
While out yesterday with DD's (DD=Darling Daughter) family, DH & I treated for dinner at a fun but casual hot-dog eatery.
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oscash said:
Hi Diva, I just looked it up and it's $25.AUD = $17.21.USD We were going to get a serving of potato chips and it was $14.00AUD
= $9.64USD. A bit expensive for 'one potato.
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Definitely expensive. You said you were in "the city". Where I'm from, that's how we refer to New York City, which is more expensive, as are resort towns. So is the area you were in known to be more expensive, like big cities usually are?
 
C50 said:
I saw a new hair cutting place opened in a little town near me so went online to check their prices. Yikes! Basic mens hair cut was $50, senior mens haircut was $40. I think the womens cuts started at $75 and up from there.

Is that what people are paying? I've been cutting my own for a few years but last time I went to Best Cuts I believe the senior price was $15 for a man. Guess I'll keep hacking away at home.
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I use Great Clips, There are 2 within sevem miles. One was not very good although it may have improved. The other is a pleasure and very professional. So location is important. Last time I went, a couple of months ago, haircuts were under $20. and on Wednesday which is senior day under $15.
 
OneEyedDiva said:
I don't envy you having to make that choice Star! I've seen other small business owners discussing this dilemma on the news. Tough situation for the businesses and customers.
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Ironically, customers routinely assume increased prices are due to greedy business owners, rather than considering the escalating costs we're facing.

Who do they think is going to pay the tariffs?
Or the increased cost of raw materials because the price has gone through the roof for petrochemicals (which are involved in the manufacture and packaging of just about freaking everything!)?
Or the dramatically increased cost of fuel to transport goods across oceans and land.?

Who'll pay these costs? The last guy in line, that's who. Meaning the ultimate consumer.

Businesses that absorb those costs can't remain profitable. It's as simple as that. Despite knowing this to be true, raising prices is agonizing for most small business owners.
 
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