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"20 Grocery Products To Stock Up On
Before Supplies Run Out At Stores"
by Epic Economist
"We are heading to the busiest shopping season of the year, and gifts will not be the only thing in high demand. Many Americans are already starting to stock up on groceries to prepare for the months ahead. As temperatures fall, getting out of our homes and taking a trip to the store may not be something we will be able to do as often. That's why replenishing our pantries during the fall will not only protect us against seasonal shortages but also help us save a lot of money down the line. Even though shoppers are likely to spend more, production levels are down for many popular items. That means you may have trouble finding Halloween pumpkins, candies like KitKat and Toblerone, Lunchables, and even breakfast staples, such as bacon.
The Wall Street Journal reports that a sugar shortage, import restrictions, and international competition all have "confectioners and food markers questioning whether they have enough supply for Halloween 2023 and the upcoming holiday season overall". Candy producers and cane sugar farmers are warning about sizable price increases. The tighter supply can be partially attributed to El NiƱo, a climatological phenomenon that periodically affects weather patterns. This shortage couldn’t come at a worse time, of course, since we are the most sugar-packed holidays of the year are right ahead. The USDA reported in June that U.S. raw cane sugar prices increased to 42.56 cents a pound, the highest price since January 2011. Meanwhile, Midwestern refined beet sugar, another type of sugar crop often used in confectionery, was up to 62 cents a pound. Major candy makers like Hershey and Mondelez, which produce sweets like Reese’s, Kit Kat, Toblerone, and Sour Patch Kids, acknowledged that the rising price of sugar will lead to price hikes in the next few months, while stocks will be reduced.
Since January, domestic chocolate prices rose by 14%. Major producers will continue to raise prices in the final months of 2023 due to a particularly weak year for cocoa production. "Compared to the 2021/22 cocoa year, the 2022/23 cocoa season is heading towards a supply deficit due to a reduction in production," according to the International Cocoa Organization. The price of wholesale cocoa beans hit its highest level in 13 years last month as farmers in Ghana, Nigeria, and the Ivory Coast reported troubling signs of black pod disease, an infection that causes cocoa pods to turn black and rot. Just in the Ivory Coast alone, known as the world's biggest cocoa producer, cocoa output shrunk by close to a full fifth this year. Similarly, below-average cocoa yields are predicted out of Ghana. "For most players, the impact of the very steep cocoa future price increases will only kick in from the second half of 2023," Lindt's Chief Financial Officer Martin Hug told analysts during an earnings call in June. Many big brands already hiked prices, a trend that is going to intensify right ahead of Halloween.
Today, we decided to compile a list of items that will be in short supply over the next few months so you can add them to your shopping cart the next time you go to the store. Our domestic supply chains are still under stress, and several disruptions in food production will contribute to a rise in the number of out-of-stock products at your local supermarket this fall. We hope this list serves as a guide for you to plan your autumn and winter purchases in the coming weeks and months. Many other essential items can also disappear from store shelves this year, and we will keep track of the coming shortages for you, so stay tuned with our channel!"
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