The US grocery slowdown is real • Hacker News Board

Re: The US grocery slowdown is real

#61

Post by reliabilityguy » Fri, Jul 17, 2026, 11:23 PM UTC

Wonnk13 wrote: post #57

I'm not surprised. K shaped economy, any sector that isn't high tech / AI is stagnant. It's rough out there. I've been saying since Covid, retailers have figured out some consumers aren't as price sensitive as previously thought. WholeFoods doesn't need to cut prices, but the lower tier grocery stores will really feel the cutbacks.

In NYC Amazon fresh is cheaper than most of the grocery stores, except maybe some things like frozen food in Trader Joe.

We simply stopped buying food in the grocery store across the street: Amazon fresh on many positions can be like 50% cheaper.

Re: The US grocery slowdown is real

#62

Post by reliabilityguy » Fri, Jul 17, 2026, 11:25 PM UTC

darth_avocado wrote: post #56

Avicebron wrote: post #3

They should just lead with people don't have any money to buy things because wages aren't increasing to match living expenses. It cuts back some of the fig leaves

Everything costs too much. I went to the grocery store yesterday I spent $50 to get a packet of bread, a dozen eggs, two yogurts, two yellow onions, a jalapeno, two tomatoes and a bunch of parsley. This covers breakfast for 2 days for my partner and I. In 2022, $150 would fetch the entire week’s groceries for the two of us. We are paying more, while having to change what we eat with cheaper/unhealthier options. Other…

Where are you located? I think even NYCs groceries are not that expensive.

Re: The US grocery slowdown is real

#63

Post by reactordev » Fri, Jul 17, 2026, 11:26 PM UTC

qdotme wrote: post #47

reactordev wrote: post #34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No food gets thrown out in my house. We have trash from plastic and paper but food is consumed, by somebody. If it hits the expiration date then it’s today’s quick meal or dog food. I try not to throw away anything that is edible.

Probably was that way before we got married and had a kid. And before our dog started getting older and we needed to watch what she eats. Now the notion of "cook fresh every day" is a thing (rather than reheats), we try to do keep leftovers but eventually we run out of space for them.

absolutely. Cooking smaller meals for the family to ensure it's all eaten or having no-cook alternatives for afterwards (hello graham crackers!) if you're still hungry. Normally I try my best to portion for who's going to eat. If I'm cooking for myself, its usually a one-pan meal.

Re: The US grocery slowdown is real

#64

Post by realityfactchex » Fri, Jul 17, 2026, 11:26 PM UTC

Theoretically I'm kinda rich, but I feel the crunch at the grocery store.

I buy the highest quality, lowest cost stuff I can find.

There can be a positive story here maybe though:

- More doordash = less grocery

- More farmer's market = less grocery

- More home-grown = less grocery

Though TFA points out,

  80% of Americans say they're still trying to spend less
  28% are actively trying to cut back on groceries
  56% are trading down to lower-priced brands
  49% are simply buying fewer items,
  44% are leaning harder on coupons and promotions

BTW my nearest grocery shut down this quarter. Couldn't make money. Got to go farther now.

Re: The US grocery slowdown is real

#65

Post by eth0up » Fri, Jul 17, 2026, 11:28 PM UTC

Is the whole Straight of Hormuz fertilizer shortage just FUD, or should we be preparing to see this "real"ness get a lot more real in the coming months or season?

I think it's a legitimate concern, and just one of many problems. Couple that with inflation (yes, and rising costs self compounding), petrol problems, pressure on the dollar, income stagnation, loads of other fun things and the wondrous introduction of LLM magic into every orifice of society, where should we expect this all leads to?

I am always looking for reasons to let my inner optimist shine through. Help, anyone?

Edit: I expect I will be chastened by vegans for the following, but..

I no longer buy milk. Organic milk up from an astonishing ~$5 to an average of $7.50 per gallon now.

I do not buy much meat, but beef is no longer an option. Yeah, it was subsidized, but that doesn't mean it's getting more affordable.

But really, I can no longer afford fresh vegetables. And though I lean vegetarian, that is quickly becoming an unhealthy option.

Re: The US grocery slowdown is real

#66

Post by claaams » Fri, Jul 17, 2026, 11:32 PM UTC

reliabilityguy wrote: post #61

Wonnk13 wrote: post #57

I'm not surprised. K shaped economy, any sector that isn't high tech / AI is stagnant. It's rough out there. I've been saying since Covid, retailers have figured out some consumers aren't as price sensitive as previously thought. WholeFoods doesn't need to cut prices, but the lower tier grocery stores will really feel the cutbacks.

In NYC Amazon fresh is cheaper than most of the grocery stores, except maybe some things like frozen food in Trader Joe. We simply stopped buying food in the grocery store across the street: Amazon fresh on many positions can be like 50% cheaper.

Mr Bezos thanks you for your support and sends his regards.

Re: The US grocery slowdown is real

#67

Post by dqv » Fri, Jul 17, 2026, 11:32 PM UTC

the__alchemist wrote: post #25

Is delivery services accounted for? I buy 1/3 I did a year ago, as Amazon's services are so convenient, and not much more expensive. (Especially since I throw out less now)

No way to know what data sources NielsenIQ is using, but for what it lacks in data from retailers, it probably makes up for by way of consumers' receipts.

Re: The US grocery slowdown is real

#68

Post by djoldman » Fri, Jul 17, 2026, 11:33 PM UTC

The variation in prices of staple foods between different stores has exploded in Chicago. For what it's worth, Aldi is significantly cheaper for many items. It's gotten a lot busier there too.

Re: The US grocery slowdown is real

#69

Post by the_real_cher » Fri, Jul 17, 2026, 11:35 PM UTC

nvme0n1p1 wrote: post #27

estearum wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Very well-supported argument by the fact that obesity tends to accumulate in the well-off who can afford lots of food, while poor folks tend to be slender. So yeah, clearly lower spending on food would reduce obesity.

Obesity is inversely correlated with income. https://www.statista.com/statistics/237141/us-obesity-by-ann...

i think they were being sarcastic with a very valid point ;)

Re: The US grocery slowdown is real

#70

Post by irishcoffee » Fri, Jul 17, 2026, 11:37 PM UTC

dyauspitr wrote: post #40

Avicebron wrote: post #3

They should just lead with people don't have any money to buy things because wages aren't increasing to match living expenses. It cuts back some of the fig leaves

Meat is like $30/lb. What a joke, I see almost no one at the butcher counter in grocery stores anymore.

We buy a side of beef at a time from a farm down the street for $6/lb, up from $4 a few years ago. Can’t buy beef any other way.