As the prices of supermarket staples like ground beef, eggs and soda continue to rise, an Associated Press poll found nearly 90% of consumers expressed concern regarding grocery costs.
According to the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll, 53% of Americans consider them a major source of stress and 33% as a minor source of stress.
The Consumer Price Index indicates the price of food increased 3% from June 2024 to June 2025 — with groceries up 2.4%. The biggest culprits were meat, poultry, fish and eggs, which rose 5.6%, followed by non-alcoholic beverages, which were up 4.4%, cereals and bakery products and dairy products, up 0.9%, and fruits and vegetables, up 0.7%.
Joe Fasula, co-owner of Gerrity’s Supermarkets, which operates 10 supermarkets throughout Lackawanna, Luzerne and Northampton counties, noted some of the protein-related items have been surging in price.
The meat section at Gerrity’s – The Fresh Grocer on Keyser Ave. in Scranton on Friday, Aug. 8, 2025. (REBECCA PARTICKA/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
Shoppers wander the aisle at Gerrity’s – The Fresh Grocer on Keyser Ave. in Scranton on Friday, Aug. 8, 2025. (REBECCA PARTICKA/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
“Eggs are ticking back up a little bit, but not a ton,” he said. “Pork is pretty stable, but the beef market, especially, is out of control. It’s just unbelievable and there is no relief in sight. The U.S. herd is at a historic low and because of that demand is outstripping supply and it takes a good 18 months to grow a steer to where you can bring it to market. We’re talking about at least a year and a half before we can even hope to see some beef prices stabilize or come down. It’s getting more and more expensive.”
At Gerrity’s, the price of 80% ground beef rose to $5.49 a pound — a 50 cent, or 10%, increase from 2024, Fasula said.
“The chicken market is still pretty strong as well and all the protein markets are tied together,” he added. “If people trade down from beef to pork or chicken, it puts more pressure on those markets.”
Additionally, increases in the costs of soda and chips are being driven by higher employee wages, Fasula said.
“The soda companies and salty snack companies are struggling to get drivers and wages continue to grow,” he said. “We’ve seen them take continuous price increases. They’re having a hard time. … I know Coke and Pepsi are having a very difficult time getting people and so are the chip companies. One of our biggest headaches at this point is our vendors — we’re having a very hard time getting good service from them because they can’t hire and retain employees. They continue to increase their wages, which has to get passed along to us and the customers. It definitely got worse during and after COVID, but it’s certainly been a challenge for probably the last four to five years.”
Specifically, a 12-pack of Coke now costs $10.29 — up 80 cents, or 8.4%, from last year, Fasula said.
Fasula recalled a conversation with an employee who posed a simple question: “Do you think we’ll ever see some prices go down?”
“I said there are two major factors that go into the cost of the product: the energy and the labor,” Fasula said. “And it’s not going to come through wages, so it has to come through transportation and energy costs.”
Despite the mounting challenges, Fasula has noticed some promising signs.
“Produce has been very stable and we’ve even seen some deflation in the market,” he said. “For the vegetarians, they’re saving money on their dinner. And the good thing is overall it really has slowed and any of the continued increases that I see, especially in the perishables, is related to supply and demand. In the meats, the cheeses, the eggs and the dairy, the demand continues to grow and the supply has been either stable or dropping. As far as center store (grocery, dairy and frozen) — I haven’t seen a whole lot of inflation — it’s relatively stable. I don’t see anything out of the ordinary from historical trends — you have the 2% to 3% inflation we’ve seen pre-COVID. They’re still going up but nothing out of the ordinary.”
However, Fasula isn’t overly optimistic grocery bills will decrease in the near future.
“I really don’t anticipate seeing anything come down unless we can get lower energy rates,” he said. “If the price of diesel and gasoline and electricity and natural gas go back down, I think that’s where you’ll start to see some of the pricing ease up, but so far I haven’t seen that.”
Angela Bassani, president and CEO of the United Way of Lackawanna, Wayne and Pike Counties, stressed the rising grocery prices coupled with increased energy and housing costs put a big burden on both individuals and nonprofits.
United Way data shows 51% of people in Lackawanna County and 47% in Luzerne fall below the Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed (ALICE) threshold — households that earn more than the federal poverty level, but less than the basic cost of living for the county plus those in poverty.
“ALICE workers are the backbone of our community: early childhood educators, home health aides, grocery clerks, retail associates, hospitality workers and others in roles that are essential to the health and vitality of our region,” Bassani said. “Yet despite their contributions, they are barely able to make ends meet and are often one emergency away from financial crisis. We’re really lucky that we have such wonderful nonprofits in this community helping people, but now is really the time to rally and help your neighbors. I think, in the grand scheme of things, people feel a little helpless on the federal level but you can help and impact your community so much by volunteering or donating as there is definitely an increase in the stress people are feeling right now in not having the ability to cover basic needs.”
Bassani added the organization has been taking steps to help hard-working people have a better quality of life.
“We believe that no one working full-time should struggle to survive,” she said. “Systemic change is necessary and we are committed to driving that through advocacy at the state and local level. But while we push for long-term solutions, we are also taking action now. Through our focus on education, financial stability and health, we are investing in programs and partnerships that provide support, create opportunities and help our ALICE neighbors move from surviving to thriving.”