CNN – Americans are starting to change their shopping behavior as they grow more concerned about the economy.
More than half of Americans say they are stressed about food costs, according to poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research released this week.
Fifty-three percent of people said grocery costs were a “major” stress, while 33% said they were a “minor” stress, according to the poll. Only 14% said groceries were not a source of stress.
This was the first AP poll asking Americans about their stress over grocery prices, but other surveys in recent years have shown that Americans are frustrated with grocery costs. The poll shows that Americans remain anxious over the high cost of food and the state of the economy, despite slowing inflation on groceries.
Rising prices
The rate of inflation on groceries has come down significantly since a 9.4% peak in 2022, driven by supply chain bottlenecks. Grocery prices increased 2.4% for the last 12 months ending in June, according to the latest consumer price index reading.
But that doesn’t mean that grocery prices have come down. In some cases, such as eggs, beef, orange juice and other items, prices have even accelerated due to supply changes or extreme weather.
There are signs that Trump’s tariffs are impacting prices on imported fruits, canned goods, coffee and other products.
The poll results reflect unmet expectations over Trump’s pledges on grocery prices and consumer uncertainty around the direction of the economy, said David Ortega, a food economist at Michigan State University.
Consumers pay close attention to store prices and grocery bills shape their overall perceptions of the economy. “We’re coming out of an inflationary period. People’s budgets are strained. Everybody sees the price of food,” Ortega said.
The broader economy appears to be impacting consumer sentiment around groceries …
