A sharp increase in grocery bills arrived soon after the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020. As supply chains all around the world were suddenly disrupted, the cost of pantry and fridge staples noticeably increased. But once the pandemic was over, prices kept climbing, resulting in a sharp and rapid inflation, the likes of which we haven't seen in half a century.
Two reasons for this are that prime rib can be expensive, and it takes a long time to cook properly. As the cost of beef has gone up and consumption habits have changed (i.e. people are eating less red meat due to health and environmental concerns), prime rib has become, well, even more of a "prime" product. In Milwaukee Mag, Ward's House of Prime owner Brian Ward described what goes into preparing prime rib for restaurant service, and it's no easy feat.
Beef prices are going up. Per recent reporting from Fox Business, industry leaders anticipate a top cost of $10 per pound by 2026. Yet, people's craving and appreciation for steak isn't going anywhere. Rather than heading out to a steakhouse (where business is, admittedly, also booming), many consumers are looking to their local grocery stores for steaks to prepare at home.
Why has the price gone up? It's the law of supply and demand. America's beef cattle herd is the smallest in 75 years, in part because of drought. But Americans' love of hamburgers and steaks has kept demand strong until recently. In July, the U.S. Department of Agriculture continued to record a shrinking number of U.S. cattle and calves, forecasting that beef production would decline 4% over this year and another 2% in 2026.
Trader Joe's is in growth mode, adding 30 new locations that will push it past 600 stores nationally. The expansion-spanning California, Texas, New York, Oklahoma, and more-is a striking contrast to the wave of retail closures hitting other chains.
The average price of a pound of ground beef rose to $6.12 in June, up nearly 12% from a year ago. The average price of all uncooked beef steaks rose to $11.49 per pound, an 8% increase.