Fifth of New Jersey Families `Working Poor,' More Than in 2000, Study Says

One-fifth of New Jersey's families don't earn enough to adequately support themselves, up from 16 percent in 2000, according to a Rutgers University report .

[Petrifiedhippy]

Yes, we are all working poor, but the MEDIA has not reported it as such until there was an announcement of recession... hhmmm...

Many of us who watch signs of time, have seen this recession coming many years.

Consumers are dying over high prices every direction they turn vs., retail who keep raising prices, lowering ounces of groceries... this is a head spinner for sure.

(congradulations ~~ shrub)

[Texas Expatriate]

Interesting that the phenomenon of food producers reducing the weight, size and mass of packaged foods while maintaining prices at current levels and then after the consumers have gotten accustomed to the ripp-off they hike the prices is also occurring in the U.S. I thought that was a European problem.

Well we all know that food producers meet throughout the year at trade fairs across the world and the newest deceptive measures, among other things, are introduced there.

In Germany consumers rely heavily on "watchdog" media efforts at exposing such deceptive measures employed by all industries, to include the food industry. Consumers here react quickly and adjust their buying/shopping habits accordingly, thereby punishing rogue producers/suppliers.

The trend being that discount grocery chains (Aldi, Lidl, Norma, etc.) have acquired a bug chunk of the business and the "normal priced" grocery chains have started to offer more bargains. Consumers in the U.S. ought to try the same tactic.

Petrifiedhippy wrote:

Yes, we are all working poor, but the MEDIA has not reported it as such until there was an announcement of recession... hhmmm...
Many of us who watch signs of time, have seen this recession coming many years.
Consumers are dying over high prices every direction they turn vs., retail who keep raising prices, lowering ounces of groceries... this is a head spinner for sure.
(congradulations ~~ shrub)

[Bill R]

Texas Expatriate wrote:

Interesting that the phenomenon of food producers reducing the weight, size and mass of packaged foods while maintaining prices at current levels and then after the consumers have gotten accustomed to the ripp-off they hike the prices is also occurring in the U.S. I thought that was a European problem.
Well we all know that food producers meet throughout the year at trade fairs across the world and the newest deceptive measures, among other things, are introduced there.
In Germany consumers rely heavily on "watchdog" media efforts at exposing such deceptive measures employed by all industries, to include the food industry. Consumers here react quickly and adjust their buying/shopping habits accordingly, thereby punishing rogue producers/suppliers.
The trend being that discount grocery chains (Aldi, Lidl, Norma, etc.) have acquired a bug chunk of the business and the "normal priced" grocery chains have started to offer more bargains. Consumers in the U.S. ought to try the same tactic.
<quoted text>

You are looking for a conspiracy where the simple
rules of supply and demand are the principle
reason for rising food prices. I'm in the busi-
ness and purchase commodities on a daily basis.
The factors are complicated, but the fact is that
the combination of things like weather, failed
crops, ethanol, and transportation costs have
made dramatic increases unavoidable. Get used
to because it is going to be with us for awhile.
U.S. consumers can expect to see 12-15% inflation
on food costs in 2008. All the producers and
manufacturers can do is pass the increase along
to the consumer. One doesn't need to go to a
convention to weigh the risks or advantages of
downsizing their packaging.

[Texas Expatriate]

Given that the factors which you listed play a role in determining a product's price and of course a producer/supplier does not have to attend a trade fair in order to find ways to increase the win margin.

However, documentaries and consumer reports shown in Germany substantiate claims that food producers/suppliers on average have started "cutting corners" to the consumers disadvantage.

For example, some food producers have not downsized their packaging but have decreased the quantity of food (chips, cookies, candies, noodles, etc.)when packaging while adding more air to the packaging in order to give the impression that the package contains the same amount. In the case of frozen rolls, I've experienced that some producers have decreased the size of their products.

After viewing such reports and documentaries filmed by very reputable consumer protection organizations it's not a question of whether the consumers are victims of a conspiracy rather how to teach the conniving producers/suppliers a lesson. Usually the wise consumer will boycott the exposed brand.

I am sure that producers in the u.s. are not too humble to use the same tactics.

Bill R wrote:

<quoted text>
You are looking for a conspiracy where the simple
rules of supply and demand are the principle
reason for rising food prices. I'm in the busi-
ness and purchase commodities on a daily basis.
The factors are complicated, but the fact is that
the combination of things like weather, failed
crops, ethanol, and transportation costs have
made dramatic increases unavoidable. Get used
to because it is going to be with us for awhile.
U.S. consumers can expect to see 12-15% inflation
on food costs in 2008. All the producers and
manufacturers can do is pass the increase along
to the consumer. One doesn't need to go to a
convention to weigh the risks or advantages of
downsizing their packaging.

[Petrifiedhippy]

Retail down sizing has been going on for now, many years - it is simply being advertised on media, here in the US... I doubt seriously trying to boycott any item is going to make a bust...

Retailers know this, the vicious circle, cycle continues. I feel damn sorry for farmers. I have lived among suched regulated farmers - no picnic there. I can remember an old farmer years ago, who picked up a box of cornflakes in my house ~ he said "how much did you pay for this", well when I told him he was spitting and spewing... the amount of the box of flakes was a lot more than a percentage amount the farmer actually received...

If we were not here commenting, I don't believe these things would get observed thusly... so many many people just go blindly to the markets, grocery stores, you have spontaneous buyers...

But, then the circle comes back full force to the working poor, to poverty, to disabled on foodstamps, it's definately vicious, then sad.