As consumers prepare to fire up the grill for Independence Day celebrations, they should expect to pay more for at least one holiday cookout staple: ground beef.
Joe Fasula, co-owner of Gerrity’s Supermarkets, which operates 10 supermarkets throughout Pennsylvania, noted that while the price of many grilling essentials will remain on par with the same time last year, 80% lean ground beef will cost customers $4.99 per pound — up $1 from $3.99.
“The general narrative is people are probably going to pay about what they paid last year for most items for the Fourth of July,” Fasula said. “Our costs are up a little bit on several items, but it just doesn’t make sense to move the advertised price. If we’re paying 10 cents more for something, there really isn’t a price point that makes sense. We’re just kind of eating that and keeping the retail the same in pretty much all cases. The big exception, of course, is beef.”
The price of bone-in New York strip steaks will be the same as last year at $8.99 a pound at some Gerrity’s stores, Fasula said.
“That’s a big win for customers and we’re not really eating too much on that either,” he said.
For those looking for a juicy watermelon ($3.99) or buttery sweet corn (20 cents per ear), the prices should be the same as last year, Fasula added.
As for other grilling favorites, the price of hot dogs is the same as last year and salmon costs $1 more per pound — up to $8.99 from $7.99, Fasula said.
“Pretty much all the holiday-themed grocery items are close to what they were last year,” he said. “There might be some ups and some downs, but for the most part it’s pretty much the same.”
Fasula also stressed there are some noninflationary cost increases resulting from weather conditions, specifically on romaine lettuce.
“There have been some issues with weather on the West Coast that is affecting the lettuce crops, and romaine hearts are a little bit more expensive this year,” he said.
However, Fasula said shoppers should start seeing some relief at the register from another produce item.
“The tomato market is coming down, so the price of tomatoes should start coming down a bit for the customer,” he said.
Nationally, the Wells Fargo Agri-Food Institute expects hosting a summer barbecue for 10 people this year will cost $161 for food and beverages — up 2.4% from the same time last year, officials said.
Again, the institute’s research found that hamburger beef represents the sharpest increase at 14%, with hot dogs and frankfurters up around 5% as they offer a beef blend, and chicken breasts are up 3%.
Completing the meal, the price for prepared potato salad is up 3% and cornbread costs consumers 4% more, but the cost of eggs decreased 14% from last year, per the Agri-Food Institute.
Additionally, broccoli, celery and cauliflower prices are up 6% over last year, with snacking tomatoes up 2% and baby carrots up just 1%, Wells Fargo officials said.