Boston Food Prices Are No Cup of Tea

Boston residents are echoing the same sentiments heard nationwide: living costs are skyrocketing with no end in sight. One issue affecting everyone is groceries. Reasons vary from low grain yields (due to lower rainfall and odd weather caused by ethanol, a greenhouse gas), to the outrageous cost of fuel. Grains are used for livestock feed. When there are poor harvests, feed prices rise, with costs passing on to the consumer. That means higher prices for meats, poultry, eggs, dairy, and vegetable oils, as well as items like baked goods, salad dressings, and mayonnaise, etc. which are made from them.

Additionally, in order for food to get to your grocer's shelves, the vehicles carrying them must have fuel. Virgil Aiello, owner of Deluca's Market, says he pays twice for the goods in his store. First, he pays for the cost of the item, then again for transportation surcharges. He buys local when he can, but states, "if you want California strawberries, you can only get them from California."

In 2005, according to Commodities reports, wheat cost around $4.00 a bushel. By December 2005, the price rose to $ 7.75. In January of 2006, it was $8.55. At this writing, the cost hovers around $24.00 per bushel! In 2003, a cost analysis was conducted for The Boston Globe. The study compared two popular Boston grocery chains, Shaw's Supermarkets and Stop & Shop. For ease of comparison, the same shopping lists were used. Not only were there differences between supermarkets, but also discrepancies among stores within the same chains.

For this article, a new study was conducted using the same items from the 2003 report. As expected, items purchased recently cost more at both stores. Summaries from both surveys follows this article. When results were shared with Boston shoppers, reactions were mixed. All admitted to feeling the strain on their bottom line, but while some were resigned to simply deal with it' by buying less, others chose to actively search for ways to make their dollars stretch. Edna G., a senior citizen, said, " I'm retired and live alone. I've shopped here for years (Shaw's) and won't travel out of my way. It's hard to buy food when you have to pay for medicine, too. I watch for sales, clip coupons, and cook small, simple meals these days to get by." To save fuel, she carpools for shopping trips.

Charles J., an Attorney, claims no loyalty to any one store. He has become creative to feed his family of four: "I get non-edibles, like soap, detergent, and shampoo at Target or Walmart, then go to Shaw's or Market Basket for food items, especially during sales; but I get all my meats, seafood, and specialty groceries at Whole Foods. I know Whole Foods costs more, but you can't beat the overall quality. So far, this is working. My gasoline costs are another story. With today's economy, you're going to pay one way or another. You choose where to cut back."

Margaret K., a faithful customer of Shaw's Supermarkets, shares, "I'm a hospital Respiratory Therapist with a husband and two sons. That means I don't have time to go to several stores to chase down a deal, but I do have a budget. This store is halfway between my home and my job, so changing stores is out of the question. I cut costs by being a coupon queen'. Between rushing back and forth and everything, I couldn't manage without them!"

Matt P., a college undergraduate student, seemed the least worried. "I shop here because it's big and they have everything! As far as price, I don't have my own car, so I'm kind of limited. Convenience is the main thing. When I have a family, cost will matter more, then." Clearly, locals are not happy paying more for food. The consensus seems to be either to bear with the situation or become savings savvy. No one polled was optimistic about future prices, but as Matt added, "What can you do? You've got to eat, right?"

Cost Analysis Summary

The Boston Globe compared prices in 2003 on selected items at Stop & Shop and at Shaw's Supermarkets in Eastern Massachusetts. Their totals come from the median prices of all stores. Current 2008 median prices are shown on the right. One hundred and thirty-two stores were surveyed. The median is the midway point between the highest price and the lowest. Half of the shoppers buying these items would have paid more, and half would have paid less.

Shaw's Supermarket Shopping List- - October 24, 2003

2 liter bottle of Coca-Cola

Bumblebee Tuna- 4 pack

Friendly's Ice Cream (half-gallon)

Angus Top Round Steaks

Boneless Chicken Breasts

Edy's Ice Cream (half-gallon)

Washington State Apples

Pint- Grape Tomatoes

Pepsi- 12 pack/ 12 ounce cans

Pepperidge Farm Crackers

Prego Sauce

October 24, 2003--Median Total:

14.57 to $16.39 (depending on location)

March 17, 2008--Median Total:

34.96 to $37.99 (depending on location)

Stop & Shop Shopping List-- October 26, 2003

2 liter bottle of Coca-Cola

Bumblebee Tuna- 4 pack

Friendly's Ice Cream (half-gallon)

October 26, 2003-- Median Total:

6.28 to $7.38 (depending on location)

March 17, 2008--Median Total:

9.67 to $12.67 (depending on location)