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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To not really understand the increase in the cost of food and to think that supermarkets or just added their own price increase?

64 replies

mrsfindlay · 10/08/2023 23:31

Just that really...are they just exploiting the cost of living crisis ? How can prices be rising so significantly ? Am I just ill-informed or a conspiracist?

OP posts:
bladebladebla1 · 10/08/2023 23:33

That's how much it's gong up for them. I mean, they could choose to swallow it so that we don't have to pay the extra, but why would they?

I own a coffee shop and trust me, it's hell. Prices increase weekly and I can't keep increasing my costs so will probably be bankrupt soon. It's awful and has to stop soon but probably won't 😢

sfnets · 10/08/2023 23:33

It's a bit of both I believe. It's more to do with rising fuel thats had an affect on all of it. Costing them more to import, more to distribute and then of course their own energy costs. The real issue is the gas company, making an absolute killing from fear mongering which had resulted in this while crisis. Shell, BP, all reporting record profits. Energy companies too.

BakedTattie · 10/08/2023 23:34

production costs are hugely increasing

ChannelyourinnerElsa · 10/08/2023 23:34

Ill informed

as a starter for ten, consider the three Fs of farming. Feed, fuel and fertiliser.

all of these have rocketed in price. Those prices get passed on. Fertiliser needs natural gas for production- gas prices rocketed, so fertilisers are now up approx 130%.

feed- brexit, Ukraine, fuel prices, all have contributed enormously.

icelolly12 · 10/08/2023 23:35

I guess their costs have gone up- rents have gone up, fuel has gone up to transport the food, fertiliser is more expensive for farmers, labour costs have increased. But yes I also think some Supermarkets are just enjoying raking in more profits.

Smartiepants79 · 10/08/2023 23:35

Of course some of it is about big businesses making a bit of money but there are some very good reasons why food is more expensive.
Huge rises in energy and petrol prices mean increases in cost of production.
Less migrant workers due to issues with the EU mean it costs more and is harder to get people to do the manual labour required for lots of food production.
Issues with importing goods from all over the place due to - war/brexit/energy costs.
There’s more…

Howmuchfurther · 10/08/2023 23:35

bladebladebla1 · 10/08/2023 23:33

That's how much it's gong up for them. I mean, they could choose to swallow it so that we don't have to pay the extra, but why would they?

I own a coffee shop and trust me, it's hell. Prices increase weekly and I can't keep increasing my costs so will probably be bankrupt soon. It's awful and has to stop soon but probably won't 😢

Omg. I’m so sorry. That must be devastating.

Untern · 10/08/2023 23:37

Well none of the big businesses are going bust but little people are. I don't think it is a conspiracy I think it's how things are set up.

bladebladebla1 · 10/08/2023 23:39

@Howmuchfurther thank you, it really is. I'm trying to bury my head in the sand but realistically I'm making a loss every day now which can't continue: my punters won't keep coming if I put my prices up more but my rent, rates and bills will continue to be charged so I'm fucked really. Every shop on my strip says the same. Soon we will all be boarded up I think. So sad

Original poster
mrsfindlay · 10/08/2023 23:48

bladebladebla1 · 10/08/2023 23:39

@Howmuchfurther thank you, it really is. I'm trying to bury my head in the sand but realistically I'm making a loss every day now which can't continue: my punters won't keep coming if I put my prices up more but my rent, rates and bills will continue to be charged so I'm fucked really. Every shop on my strip says the same. Soon we will all be boarded up I think. So sad

I'm so sorry to hear this

OP posts:
Original poster
mrsfindlay · 11/08/2023 00:05

Sorry, I made a typo in the title! (Unsure how to edit) It was meant to read ... AIBU "To not really understand the increase in the cost of food and to think that supermarkets have just added their own price increase"

OP posts:
Drywhitefruitycidergin · 11/08/2023 00:32

I suspect it's a bit of both tbh.
Energy prices in production & in stores, wages, supplier increases, brexit imports, but I'm sure there's a lot of rounding up going on especially with all the price matched to aldi, so if Aldi prices go up then the others match...

Testina · 11/08/2023 00:34

I work in a factory. See how everyone was shitting themselves on MN about utilities going up? That was with an energy cap - for domestic customers. The cost of energy in our factory has gone up - the graph is INSANE, the kind of leap where you check someone didn’t enter an extra zero!
That’s before you get into raw materials, labour cost, cost of transport (also impacted by fuel and labour) to then deliver the product…

We’re still making a profit overall, but I can honestly say that all the cost increase we’ve managed to get retailers to accept (and they haven’t accepted all of it) has been genuine increase in our costs. Prices have gone up, but our profit has gone down.

Circumferences · 11/08/2023 00:36

It's called price gouging.
It's a known phenomenon during economic upheaval.
Don't expect big corporations to decrease their prices when their costs decrease either.

Howmuchfurther · 11/08/2023 00:36

bladebladebla1 · 10/08/2023 23:39

@Howmuchfurther thank you, it really is. I'm trying to bury my head in the sand but realistically I'm making a loss every day now which can't continue: my punters won't keep coming if I put my prices up more but my rent, rates and bills will continue to be charged so I'm fucked really. Every shop on my strip says the same. Soon we will all be boarded up I think. So sad

Yes. Very very sad.

Are you talking to someone? Not your bank. Friends, associations etc. Someone who has your back. If you are losing money daily, is there an earlier way out?

Thank you for what you did whilst you did it. Making community, small happy times for people, somewhere to go, a place to meet, etc.

VanGoghsDog · 11/08/2023 00:38

Untern · 10/08/2023 23:37

Well none of the big businesses are going bust but little people are. I don't think it is a conspiracy I think it's how things are set up.

Plenty of big businesses are going bust. Wilko gone into administration this week.

Several utility companies have gone bust, despite the misconception that they are all making loads of extra profit (they are not).

Untern · 11/08/2023 00:41

Yea I know about the utilities, one of them took all my money and went bust with it.

I cry no tears for business. They'll be fine.

But when FUCKing Tesco charges seven quid for fake margarine ie a product that's fake anyway, we're being screwed over

Untern · 11/08/2023 00:43

And Wilko has been shit for at least two years. Probably on purpose, for whoever tf owns it now to bust and cash in.

bladebladebla1 · 11/08/2023 06:39

@Howmuchfurther there isn't really another way out for 2 years but it's up and down so I just about scrape through by using my savings to pay bills then in busier times I can just about manage with takings. I talk to my partner about it but I feel pretty guilty that I'm not bringing in any money but at work every day (literally as can't afford to pay anyone)

BlastedPimples · 11/08/2023 06:42

I think there is a lot of greed

Tartareistasty · 11/08/2023 07:00

@bladebladebla1 I really feel for you. We sold up about year and half ago, worked on moving out of it dor about year before that. I am very thankful we managed to get out, we would be in very very red now.
It's terrible. It's something you made and cherished and took care off.

Yy to person who mentioned commercial energy bills. There were companies when the rise hit who demanded 10k+deposits from SMEs if they wanted to move to them!!! No cap. Chicken doubled last year within months etc.

The issue is that people hearabout retailers making record profits and think it's from the rises. Not really. It's because more people shop rather than order in or eat out. More people shop their clothes rather than usual brands etc. When they posted record profits during covid, it was that too. Evryone was in and needed more shopping with no lunches out etc.

VisionsOfSplendour · 11/08/2023 07:03

Untern · 11/08/2023 00:43

And Wilko has been shit for at least two years. Probably on purpose, for whoever tf owns it now to bust and cash in.

What does that mean? You think the owners deliberately set out to lose money and make their employees unemployed?

Tartareistasty · 11/08/2023 07:09

VisionsOfSplendour · 11/08/2023 07:03

What does that mean? You think the owners deliberately set out to lose money and make their employees unemployed?

Show quote history

I think in theae cases owners don't lose as much as people think.
Look at Debenhams...

VisionsOfSplendour · 11/08/2023 07:14

Tartareistasty · 11/08/2023 07:09

I think in theae cases owners don't lose as much as people think.
Look at Debenhams...

Show quote history

As far as been reported wilkos is a privately owned family business not a PLC, I'm not sure you're comparing like with like

flapjackfairy · 11/08/2023 07:14

Well I hate to be the bearer of bad tidings but surely this awful summer will mean lots of crops will be ruined and things will get even worse . So I foresee food getting even more expensive as a result. It is worrying .