DOVER, Pa. — Inflation and higher prices have dominated the headlines, along with the wallets of Pennsylvanians over the past few years.
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Austin Hogue, the owner of Dottie's Family Market in Dover, has seen his customers suffer through inflation, which in 2022 reached its highest levels in more than 40 years.
"Instead of going down the grocery aisles and getting everything they need for a week's worth of groceries, they might only come in get the things that they really love," Hogue said. "The basket size shrinks a little bit, just because the dollar doesn't go as far for a lot of the customers in the area."
But while customers are still recovering from sticker shock, inflation itself is also recovering. The number fell to 2.5% in August, roughly where it was in 2020 before the pandemic. Major retailers such as Target and Wal-Mart have cut prices on thousands of items, while chains such as McDonalds and Subway have rolled out significant cuts on popular meals.
Stores like Dottie's, however, who rely on suppliers for their products, have yet to see relief.
"We just don't see it from the vendor side," Hogue said. "That's basically where we get our prices in weekly from the from the vendors, and we adjust accordingly."
Where Hogue has seen changes is in the physical size of the packaging of household items, through the practice known as "shrinkflation."
"You take a thing of applesauce, they put the little sides in there," Hogue said. "The containers have ribs, which shrink them up, but the price is the same. It just keeps it looking like the prices haven't moved, but the sizes continue to shrink for the same price."
Hogue says that he is hopeful that prices can recover, so his customers can see relief.
"Whether it's inflation, whether it's a pandemic, whether it's anything, it's just how you adjust to make the best out of the situation," Hogue said. "And I think we'll be fine, and we'll keep going, but you just have to change the way you approach the customers."