While I understand that prices may rise somewhat due to increased manufacturing costs, I can't help feeling that a disproportionate amount of that is being passed right to us as consumers and that most companies are taking advantage of the pandemic situation. Why shouldn't the highly compensated executives and even some shareholders be satisfied with a bit less? Whether groceries or automobiles, we are bearing the brunt. For those of us on limited incomes, retired or low wage earners, this is really a form of legal extortion. Seems even worse than the early 80's or even the mid 70's stagflation era (rising prices, shortages and high unemployment/stagnant wages). Not sure about other areas of the US, but our grocery stores have been empty for many weeks and each week, prices are higher and higher. A good example - Nabisco Famous Chocolate Wafers. These are fairly expensive to start - always have been. Used to cost $4.69 per package at ShopRite. Then they went to $4.99: now, as of yesterday, they are $5.39. And this is only one item. Clorox is now around $7.00 for the 3.78 quart (121 ounce size) and that isn't even splashless.
I know we are all in the same boat but had to vent. I have altered my shopping to cut out certain luxuries (adios Nabisco anything...), carefully mapping only what I need, adding more legumes and doing with less meat), going to different stores for specials and using places like Aldi and PriceRite (a division of ShopRite); of course this means spending a lot more time shopping and using a little more gas. Kind of how my mother had to shop in the 1970's.
On the auto front, it is even more shameless. There seems to be some great fascination with everyone wanting a Kia Telluride. One of my neighbors needed to replace an old car and nearly had a stroke when the Kia dealer informed him that they were adding an additional $7,000 to the sticker price because of the demand. Reminds me of the early 80's when everyone wanted Honda Accords and I saw this with my own eyes - every one on the lot had a line item on the sticker price for $4,000 A.D.P. - translation, additional dealer profit.
So where does this end?