It seems like every thing is dearer nowadays — and for essentially the most part, that is true. Nonetheless, some corporations have made some extent of keeping their iconic value items inexpensive, and other on a regular basis costs have remained the identical (and even dropped) as technology advances.
Consumer prices have increased by about 23% overall since February 2020, and costs are still rising for a lot of items, with the present annual inflation rate at 2.8%. But listed below are six things that haven’t gotten dearer, despite the entire inflation within the last five years:
Costco’s rotisserie chickens
Costco famously sells its pre-cooked rotisserie chickens for $4.99, significantly undercutting grocery stores that generally charge $7 or more. The value hasn’t modified in 15 years though Costco would almost definitely make more cash if it raised the fee.
Costco sold greater than 150 million rotisserie chickens last 12 months. Customers love the deal since it’s one in every of the most affordable, easiest ways to place a healthy dinner on the table. And that is the rationale the warehouse club doesn’t change the worth: It drives people to Costco more often than they might otherwise go. Those shoppers are adding other higher-margin items to their carts on these extra trips, and the chicken deal helps justify their membership.
Costco’s long-running $1.50 hot dog and soda combo has also survived inflation.
Other mega-retailers have similarly offered inflation-proof meals to draw shoppers. Sam’s Club still runs a $2.50 pizza and soda combo deal and costs its rotisserie chickens 1 cent below Costco’s, at $4.98. Ikea also sells ultra-cheap food items: Last 12 months, company lowered the everyday price for its popular hot dogs from $1 to 75 cents.
Televisions and other electronics
Modern televisions are thinner and cheaper to make than their predecessors, and innovation in flatscreen TVs has continued to drive prices down within the last five years. TV prices are 27.6% lower in comparison with February 2020, in response to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Price Index, or CPI, data.
The federal government’s data actually takes under consideration the standard of the TV you are getting. Depending on the dimensions, TVs can still be expensive, but you are getting a significantly better product on your money. Mainly, technology improvements could make electronic items appear cheaper within the CPI even when prices aren’t changing as much.
The identical thing has happened with smartphones, that are down 58.7% within the last five years, in response to CPI data. Nonetheless, a report from Counterpoint shows that average smartphone sale prices increased from $287 to $356 globally from 2020 to 2024. Prices for Apple iPhones increased from $724 to $903.
Economists on the Bureau of Labor of Statistics have explained that the stark drop within the smartphone price index is due mainly to quality improvements in technology as screens, cameras and processing have all improved.
Cellphone plans have also survived inflation: The “wireless telephone services” CPI category is up just 1.4% since 2020.
AriZona Iced Tea
AriZona Beverages is understood for its 99-cent drinks, and the worth hasn’t modified in greater than three many years.
Last 12 months, the corporate’s chairman, Don Vultaggio, went viral for a Today Show interview clip during which he was asked why not increase the worth.
He responded: “We’re successful. We’re debt-free. We own every thing,” he said. “Why have people who find themselves having a tough time paying their rent need to pay more for our drink?”
Will the worth ever change? Not within the “foreseeable future,” Vultaggio added.
To maintain the worth of its cans at 99 cents, the corporate did make some changes in 2022, reducing the dimensions from 23 ounces to 22 ounces and increasing the worth of some bottled drinks.
Whiskey
The value of whiskey has barely budged since 2020, increasing only 3.9%, in response to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Bourbon has been one of the popular spirits within the U.S. in recent times, and distilleries have ramped up production prior to now decade. While many popular whiskeys take six years or more to age, it appears that evidently supply could also be catching as much as demand.
Industry experts say that customers have been cutting back on expensive alcohol purchases as their wallets have been stressed by rising rates of interest and high prices for every thing else. Lower demand and efficiency improvements in whiskey production are amongst the explanations that the whiskey index hasn’t gone up more.
Also, some whiskey drinkers are searching for alternatives like cheaper store-brand spirits or other alcoholic beverages equivalent to beer, in response to CNN.
Bananas
Bananas are nearly the most affordable thing you’ll be able to get within the produce section, and the worth has hardly modified since 2020. Prices have increased by 5.2% since then, so that you is likely to be paying a couple of more cents per bunch than you once did. But that is probably not one in every of your top concerns on the subject of grocery prices.
Women’s clothes
Prices in a handful women’s clothing categories are either down or simply up barely since 2020. Those include dresses (-8.3%), outerwear (3.7%) and girls’s suits (2.7%).
How are retailers keeping prices down within the face of inflation? Media reports have indicated that fast fashion and lower production quality could also be why prices have stayed flat.
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