Many consumers ‘feel angry, anxious, and frustrated’ with groceries: report

Shoppers are not happy at what they are seeing on their grocery bill.

A new Axios Vibe Check survey of over 2,100 adults in December revealed almost 72% said they think inflation is still in full force at the grocery store.

In addition, nearly 60% feel angry, anxious, and frustrated whenever they shop for groceries because of the impact it has on their budget.

The negative sentiment comes as inflation approaches close to pre-COVID levels.

However, the Bureau of Labor Statistics revealed in December that the cost of groceries was still on the rise as prices of grains and bakery goods increased 2.6% year-over-year and the cost for fruits and vegetables rose 0.3%.

Overall, in-home prices spiked 1.3% in 2023.

However, according to a recent analysis of FMI — The Food Industry Association shopper data, weekly household grocery spending has remained stable since the summer of 2023 while concerns about escalating food retail prices have eased since October. The December USDA Food Price Outlook anticipates grocery store prices will lower in 2024.