Shopping for staples at a discount
Shirley Mitchell, 55, picked up a few groceries this week to bake Christmas cookies as gifts. But rather than go to a traditional supermarket, she picked up some of the ingredients at Dollar General, a discount store with more “consumables” on its shelves.
“It’s horrible,” Mitchell said of the economy as she placed a $1.85 package of a dozen eggs into her cart. “I think it’s going to cause everyone to pull tight.”
Economic uncertainty has persuaded more consumers like Mitchell to leave behind traditional grocery stores in search of bargains on items such as canned foods or other staples. Discount stores such as Dollar General and Wal-Mart are reaping the benefits.
The trend comes as average food prices in the Nashville area — and consumer prices nationally — decline compared with early November.
A market basket survey of basic food items done periodically by The Tennessean shows prices have dropped 1.65 percent in the past six weeks,a welcome sign for shoppers who had seen gasoline prices dip earlier this fall but food prices remain stubbornly high.
Traditional grocery stores, meanwhile, are doing more to present themselves as a good value amid tougher competition from discount chains.
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