This Week in Retail: Spread Between Food at Home vs Away from Home Narrows
The latest Consumer Price Index (CPI) for September, released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), showed the food index up 0.9 percent last month after gaining 0.4 percent in August. The Food at Home (FAH) index showed a 1.2 percent over the month increase with gains across all six major food group indices. The index for meats, poultry, fish, and eggs demonstrated a 2.2 percent over the month increase. The index for dairy and related products posted the smallest increase at 0.7 percent.
The BLS defines the CPI as the change in prices paid by consumers for goods and services. Overall, the CPI rose by 0.4 percent in September. Notably, gains in the indices for food and shelter contributed to more than half of the monthly all items increase. Over the last 12 months, the all items index rose 5.4 percent before seasonal adjustment.
The BLS reports that the index for Food Away From Home (FAFH), which was up 0.4 percent in August, gained 0.5 percent in September. Over the last year, the FAFH index rose 4.7 percent. Increases for limited and full-service meals offset a decline in the index for food at employee sites and schools...
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