BECKLEY, WV (WVNS) — Food prices are at their highest point in a decade, and supply chain shortages are creating problems for millions of consumers and stores across the country.
A corporate representative from Kroger Mid-Atlantic said the chain experienced minor disruptions in supply over the last few months. Despite initial obstacles in keeping the shelves stocked, he said the chain worked with suppliers to stock items in high demand for the holiday season.
“We actually stocked some critical issues, some additional safety stock of critical supplies,” James Menees said. “Cleaning supplies obviously continue to be critical and baking supplies are some of the things that we have sourced additional products because obviously there is a lot of baking around Thanksgiving.”
Food prices rose 5.3% from October 2020 to 2021 according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture., marking some of the highest food prices since 1990. Menees said food prices are determined with brand partners based on availability.
“There can be some price fluctuations, obviously all businesses are dealing with some labor issues and when it comes to food products, there’s some supply issues when it comes to packaging materials so we just work with our partners in our supply chain network to determine what products are available and what price makes sense,” Menees said.
When it comes to stocking up on holiday essentials, Menees said the best thing to do is plan ahead.
“The earlier the better, obviously our stores will be busy throughout and leading up to Thanksgiving but the earlier the better I would say for customers to get all their supplies for their Thanksgiving meal,” Menees said.