Trump's Economy: Thanksgiving Prices Up 10% Amidst Corporate Greed

Thanksgiving Grocery Price Increases

• 📊 Analysis from Groundwork Collaborative reveals that the cost of a typical Thanksgiving meal has increased by nearly 10% this year.
• 📈 Specific staples like onions are up nearly 60%, cranberry sauce by 22%, and spiral hams by 50%.
• ⚠️ This price surge occurs despite claims of affordable holiday meals, with alternative statistics being questioned for their methodology.

Data Integrity and Alternative Statistics

• 🔍 Groundwork Collaborative's data, sourced from Nielsen scanner data covering half of all grocery purchases, shows a consistent 10% increase.
• 🚫 The Walmart statistic is criticized for substituting items and removing others to artificially lower the reported price.
• 🧐 The American Farm Bureau Federation's data is also questioned for relying on volunteer-submitted, inconsistent item comparisons and for data collection in October, not closer to Thanksgiving.

Factors Driving Price Hikes

• 🐦 Bird flu has significantly impacted the cost of chickens, eggs, and turkeys, though frozen turkey prices remain stable due to their use as a "loss leader."
• 🐄 In beef and pork, a combination of a flesh-eating disease in Texas, drought conditions, and historically low cattle herds are driving up domestic supply costs.
• 🏭 Massive corporate consolidation in the meatpacking industry, harsh working conditions, and crackdowns on immigrant labor are also contributing factors.
• 📦 Tariffs on aluminum and steel are increasing the cost of canned goods and beverages like beer, while issues with immigrant farm workers are impacting fresh produce prices.

Consumer Impact and Economic Sentiment

• 😥 65% of Americans report stress about affording Thanksgiving this year, with a majority believing it will be harder than previous years.
• 🛒 To cope, a third of consumers are buying fewer items or switching to store brands, and another third are relying on coupons.
• 💔 Sadly, 10% of people are skipping the holiday altogether due to affordability issues.
• 📉 A majority of people believe President Trump's economic agenda is making the holiday less affordable, with his approval on the economy at its lowest point.

Corporate Greed and Algorithmic Pricing

• 💰 The "greedflation" dynamic is highlighted, where companies maintained high prices and reported record profits even after initial pandemic-related inflation eased.
• 📈 Studies suggest companies are increasing prices regardless of tariff impacts, indicating a deliberate strategy to retain higher profits.
• 🏘️ The Department of Justice's settlement with Real Page, a company facilitating algorithmic rent hikes for corporate landlords, is criticized for its leniency and lack of accountability.
• 🤖 Concerns are raised about AI's role in dynamic and surveillance pricing, potentially allowing companies to gouge consumers in real-time based on personal data.