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☆ UK fresh food prices climb record 14.3% in November – BRC
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-30 | by ( Suban Abdulla | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The British Retail Consortium (BRC) said fresh food prices were 14.3% higher this month than a year ago. Other food item prices surged at the fastest pace on record to 12.4% in November, up from 11.6% the month before, it said. Overall shop price inflation rose to 7.4%, a record for the index which started 17 years ago, and up from 6.6% in October. "Food prices have continued to soar, especially for meat, eggs and dairy, which have been hit by rocketing energy costs, and rising costs of animal feed and transport," she said. Market research firm NielsenIQ, which co-produces the data, said Christmas will become more expensive as higher prices are already forcing consumers to limit spending on non-essential items.

☆ Parents Are Giving Kids Melatonin to Help Them Sleep. Doctors Have Concerns.
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-16 | by ( Alex Janin | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Sleep doctors say they have more questions than answers about kids and melatonin. Stressed-out parents are increasingly giving their kids melatonin to help them sleep, raising concerns among some pediatricians about the long-term effects. Doctors report steep increases in child melatonin consumption in recent years, driven partly by parents trying to help their kids cope with sleep disruptions during the pandemic. Americans overall spent nearly twice as much on melatonin products in the past 12 months—nearly $1.1 billion—as they did in the same period three years ago, according to data from market research firm NielsenIQ. The company doesn’t track melatonin consumption specifically among kids.

CHICAGO, Nov 16 (Reuters) - Cooks may have to put away their oversized platters for serving turkey this Thanksgiving. If a farm has an outbreak, producers must disinfect their barns after culling turkeys and wait about six months before restocking. The National Turkey Federation acknowledged that cooks in some geographic areas could see limited supplies of big turkeys. On the U.S. East Coast, Baldor sees a shortage of the bigger sizes as large Thanksgiving celebrations make a comeback, Lindgren said. Shoppers are resuming traditional purchases of turkeys around 18 pounds, after downsizing their birds for smaller gatherings over the last two years, he said.

☆ Christmas shopping comes early for Britons in grip of cost crunch
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-15 | by ( James Davey | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SummarySummary Companies 30% of Britons began Christmas shopping before mid-OctFigure last year was 18% - NielsenIQ survey findsBudgets stretched by inflationLONDON, Nov 15 (Reuters) - More Britons began their Christmas shopping early this year as they navigate a worsening cost-of-living squeeze by budgeting their spending, market research group NielsenIQ said. Nielsen said sales growth at British supermarkets picked-up over the last month on a value basis, masking a drop in volumes once inflation is accounted for. It said growth was 5.3% in the four weeks to Nov. 5 year-on-year, having increased 4.7% in last month's data set. NielsenIQ said that crisps and snacks and soft drinks were the only two categories to see volume growth in the four week period with growth of 2.9% and 0.6% respectively. General merchandise volume sales fell 7.6%, it said.

☆ Some relief for consumers: Prices on a few grocery items are actually coming down
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-10 | by ( Parija Kavilanz | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

For most consumers, price breaks on their groceries come as welcome relief given that store food prices overall have surged 12.4% through October versus a year ago. In fresh produce, the average unit price for prepared mixed vegetables from July to September (the latest data available) dropped 68% versus the same period last year. In fruits, the average unit price is down 1.8% for tangerines and has declined 7% for dates in the same three-month period. A lot of fresh seafood options are cheaper as well: the average unit price for striped bass fell 41.8% (July through September) over the prior year. “You’re are seeing a little bit of an increase in turkey [prices] but you are also seeing a little bit of reduction in chicken.

☆ Go ahead. Go crazy with avocados. There's a massive glut and prices are cooling off
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-02 | by ( Parija Kavilanz | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

New York CNNBusiness —There’s at least one item in the grocery store that is getting less expensive: avocados. A significant supply glut of the buttery fruit has triggered a drop in wholesale prices, sending store prices lower as well. A glut of global avocado supply has triggered a significant drop in prices. “In the first half of 2022, avocado shipments from Mexico were 25% lower compared to the record-high shipments we saw in 2021,” said Magana. Those regulations were quickly lifted, but not before causing a further run-up in store prices.

LONDON, Oct 28 (Reuters) - Fresh vegetables and fish are falling off the menu. Joanne Farrer used to regularly serve her three children roast beef dinners or stews packed with fresh vegetables. Volume sales of fresh vegetables fell by more than 6% and fresh meat by over 7% in August, for example, while sales of snacks and candy rose almost 4%. "We also know that cheap highly processed foods are the ones most likely to cause obesity." "If fresh food is cheaper then we'll get that, but it's not often on offer."

☆ Recession or not, investments in this sector have shown resilience in tough times
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-18 | by ( Michelle Fox | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +13 min

Boston Beer has an average analyst rating of hold and 8% downside to the average price target, according to FactSet. "In a recession, beer tends to gain about one percentage point of share from spirits. How to play the space With that mindset, you shouldn't alter your long-term investments because of a potential recession, Sarwat said. Its average price target is buy. Duckhorn also has an average rating of buy, with 30% upside to the average price target.

☆ UK shop price inflation speeds up again to new high - BRC
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LONDON, Sept 28 (Reuters) - The climb in prices charged by shops and supermarkets in Britain accelerated again in the 12 months to September, hitting its highest since records began in 2005, the British Retail Consortium said on Wednesday. Market research firm NielsenIQ, which co-produces the data, said 76% of consumers expected to be moderately or severely affected by the cost-of-living crisis over the next three months, up from 57% in the summer. Britain's consumer price index, which measures a broader range of prices than the BRC's data, hit a 40-year high of 10.1% in July before easing back to 9.9% in August. The cost of imported goods in Britain faces further inflationary pressure after a slump in the value of the pound triggered by the announcement of tax cuts by new finance minister Kwasi Kwarteng last week. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by William Schomberg, editing by Andy BruceOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Readers can use this interactive chart to see how the price they have paid for groceries differs from the national average or from the prices shoppers paid in other major metro areas. The NBC News grocery price tracker is one measure of the outcomes of President Joe Biden's economic policies for everyday people. Input costs are up, especially for food and fuel, which pressures grocery prices. The data in the NBC News tracker, provided by NielsenIQ, is collected from real checkout prices paid nationwide at grocery stores, drugstores, mass merchandisers, selected dollar stores, selected warehouse clubs and military commissaries. The Bureau of Labor Statistics' monthly consumer price index, which uses human data collectors and includes other food product categories, is another resource for average price data.

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