Opportunity to increase profits even more?

[tvguy]

Best example I can think of: we bought eggs 2 weeks ago for 2.99 a Dozen yes the limit was 1 and it was at the very large supermarket we shop at. Week after not on sale yes they are higher but nowhere near the 6-10 the once were.
Few are going to pay a high price from X when Y is selling the same for a lot less making X lower its prices or they will not sell any - being eggs due expire X will have a total loss.
Sales are down and have been down for months to almost if not a year on what is considered non-essential if a retailer raised prices they simply will simply sell even less.

I think eggs are an awful example because that situation has no link to politics or tariffs, that has to do with the deaths of 53 million chickens from bird flu.
And I would do cartwheels.......if I could......if I found eggs for only $2.99. I'm just happy they are down to $6.34 a dozen here from over $10 a dozen six weeks ago. But, we have cut back on egg use. Between meals and baking, we used to consume a dozen a week, we now go two weeks on a dozen.

 

[reddog21]

no link to politics

The cause of any catastrophe has "generally" nothing to do with politics it's how the aftermath is handled that has everything to do with politics.

At the end of the day, governments can't do a whole lot to lower prices but at least they can make pretend you care.

 

[tvguy]

The cause of any catastrophe has "generally" nothing to do with politics it's how the aftermath is handled that has everything to do with politics.

At the end of the day, governments can't do a whole lot to lower prices but at least they can make pretend you care.

Well, the uneven impact of the bird flu across the nation also was an issue. So it wasn't an issue in many areas, so government had no reason to care. Like I posted above, I see people complaining about prices that would have been a bargain here in California BEFORE the bird flu. But that is in part due to politics, as voters here in 2018 voted to require that beginning in 2022 only cage free eggs could be sold here.

 

[StitchesGr8Fan]

If tariffs go back down, or items are manufactured in-country, prices will only go back down if people stop buying. The issue with manufacturing in the US is hard to find people to fill the jobs. Even with robotics doing the bulk of the work, you still need a certain amount of humans monitoring and fixing the robots. And not a lot of people want to do that for the salary they would be paid.

 

[reddog21]

If tariffs go back down, or items are manufactured in-country, prices will only go back down if people stop buying. The issue with manufacturing in the US is hard to find people to fill the jobs. Even with robotics doing the bulk of the work, you still need a certain amount of humans monitoring and fixing the robots. And not a lot of people want to do that for the salary they would be paid.

That's only part of the problem, the kind of capital investment that would be needed to the actually bring manufacturing back to the US not to mention the time needed.

 

[eandt]

If tariffs go back down, or items are manufactured in-country, prices will only go back down if people stop buying. The issue with manufacturing in the US is hard to find people to fill the jobs. Even with robotics doing the bulk of the work, you still need a certain amount of humans monitoring and fixing the robots. And not a lot of people want to do that for the salary they would be paid.

Wonder why it’s ‘hard to find people to fill the jobs’?

 

[DCLMP]

I think eggs are an awful example because that situation has no link to politics or tariffs, that has to do with the deaths of 53 million chickens from bird flu.
And I would do cartwheels.......if I could......if I found eggs for only $2.99. I'm just happy they are down to $6.34 a dozen here from over $10 a dozen six weeks ago. But, we have cut back on egg use. Between meals and baking, we used to consume a dozen a week, we now go two weeks on a dozen.

They killed a lot of birds that didn't have the flu. It's funny how it's only a USA issue. Hoarding was also a factor. The media likes to work everyone into a frenzy.

 

[DCLMP]

Capitalism! Charge what people will pay!

Yes and if people don't pay prices will come down. Seems pretty simple.

 

[tvguy]

They killed a lot of birds that didn't have the flu. It's funny how it's only a USA issue. Hoarding was also a factor. The media likes to work everyone into a frenzy.

Sorry, not buying the media frenzy. We (before I retired) in the media follow public trends, we don't create them. Bird flu hit in March of last year, and the media didn't pick up on it under December after egg prices started rising.

 

[DCLMP]

Sorry, not buying the media frenzy. We (before I retired) in the media follow public trends, we don't create them. Bird flu hit in March of last year, and the media didn't pick up on it under December after egg prices started rising.

Sorry, I couldn't disagree more. The media has everything to do with public persuasion. If you didn't know about the bird flu until December you better find better sources.

 

[tvguy]

Sorry, I couldn't disagree more. The media has everything to do with public persuasion. If you didn't know about the bird flu until December you better find better sources.

LOL.

 

[Twilghtsprkle]

That's only part of the problem, the kind of capital investment that would be needed to the actually bring manufacturing back to the US not to mention the time needed.

We aren’t exactly sitting on a stockpile of raw materials. We piss enough people off with tariffs, we can’t import them at any price so there will be nothing to manufacture with.

Or it may be cheaper to import even manufacturing it overseas.

 

[Dakota731]

The United States has among the lowest average tariff rates in the world at 3.3 percent, while many of our key trading partners like Brazil (11.2 percent), China (7.5 percent), the European Union (EU) (5 percent), India (17 percent), and Vietnam (9.4 percent) have average tariff rates that are significantly higher. So why shouldn’t we level the playing field?
I’m not too worried about pissing anyone off with tariffs, most of the countries in the world have already caved and agreed to negotiate with the US.

 

[chalee94]

The United States has among the lowest average tariff rates in the world at 3.3 percent, while many of our key trading partners like China (7.5 percent),
I’m not too worried about pissing anyone off with tariffs, most of the countries in the world have already caved and agreed to negotiate with the US.

After China stood up to the trade threats, I expect other countries may no longer be as willing to make concessions either.

Some of it depends on how long of a recession that US consumers are willing to tolerate.

 

[WDW_fan_in_TX]

I was in the media for 20 years. Our job was to scare people and report the negative. Media still does that. Just look at the weather reports. Got a Cat 9 sharknado coming, and we end up with a quarter inch of rain and nothing else. Yes, they've scared everyone into a frenzy.

Sorry, not buying the media frenzy. We (before I retired) in the media follow public trends, we don't create them. Bird flu hit in March of last year, and the media didn't pick up on it under December after egg prices started rising.

 

[tvguy]

I was in the media for 20 years. Our job was to scare people and report the negative. Media still does that. Just look at the weather reports. Got a Cat 9 sharknado coming, and we end up with a quarter inch of rain and nothing else. Yes, they've scared everyone into a frenzy.

Guess it depends on who you work for and your personal ethics. I worked for a few shady corporate owners but we NEVER tried to scare people. 46 years under my belt before I retired.

 

[Dakota731]

After China stood up to the trade threats, I expect other countries may no longer be as willing to make concessions either.

Some of it depends on how long of a recession that US consumers are willing to w

With 50 countries working on trade deals with the US, I’m not too worried about it. China needs the US more than we need them. China's economy relies heavily on exports, and the US is a major market for those goods. The US, while also benefiting from trade with China, has a more diversified economy and isn't as reliant on China for exports.
I realize that “the sky is falling” media mentality sells more ads and gets more viewers, but that doesn’t make it real.

 

[chalee94]

With 50 countries working on trade deals with the US, I’m not too worried about it. China needs the US more than we need them. China's economy relies heavily on exports, and the US is a major market for those goods. The US, while also benefiting from trade with China, has a more diversified economy and isn't as reliant on China for exports.
I realize that “the sky is falling” media mentality sells more ads and gets more viewers, but that doesn’t make it real.

That's a relief.

The NY Post has an article about US farmers in crisis due to the tariffs. Farmers going out of business, longshoremen and truck drivers thrown out of work...and that's from the conservative media... (The NY Times' stuff is behind a paywall but I assume it would be even more dire...)

The Chinese people are also used to having less say in economic matters. Our consumers might be louder even if it's only that our kids have to make do with 93% fewer dolls.

We'll see...

 

[dez1978]

Not certain because prices have been rising for a year and that has generated a lot of pushback from consumers. Target reports foot traffic down 7.9%, Walmart down too.
Who is doing well, DISCOUNT stores like Dollar General, Dollar Tree, BJs, Costco and Sams Club.
@Hubalorian kind of nailed. Under Capitalism, charge what customers will pay, but the reality is, customers are NOT paying those prices, so retailers are going to have to CUT prices if they want to move merchandise.
I am sitting here eating my $1.97 a box Great Value Corn Flakes because the eggs I really want for breakfast are too expensive. Eggs have been the focus of price hikes because of the bird flu. They are DOWN to $6.34 a dozen this week, from $9. Happy Easter.

Dollar General and $1.25 tree doing well makes no sense to me. They are in no way cheaper than Walmart. Most of the products that are cheaper are in smaller containers so you really aren't saving money. They only reason I can see for Dollar General to be doing well is that they have greatly expanded in rural areas making it easier for people to stop there for a gallon of milk or loaf of bread. They are like the Starbucks of the rural community, they are everywhere now lol.

 

[easyas123]

They are like the Starbucks of the rural community, they are everywhere now lol.

You’re spot on… they seem to be popping up in every rural corner of DE & MD that we drive thru.