Page 1 - aruba-today-20220113

Aqua Grill
Thursday
January 13, 2022
T: 582-7800
www.arubatoday.com
facebook.com/arubatoday
instagram.com/arubatoday
Page 10
Aruba’s ONLY English newspaper
A r u b a ’ s O N L Y E n g l i s h n e w s p a p e r
US shoppers find some groceries scarce due to virus, weather

By D. DURBIN/P. PURIFOY The shortages are wide-
AP Business Writer spread, impacting pro-
Benjamin Whitely headed duce and meat as well as
to a Safeway supermarket packaged goods such as
in Washington D.C. on Tues- cereal. And they're being
day to grab some items for reported nationwide. U.S.
dinner. But he was disap- groceries typically have
pointed to find the veg- 5% to 10% of their items out
etable bins barren and a of stock at any given time;
sparse selection of turkey, right now, that unavailabil-
chicken and milk. ity rate is hovering around
"Seems like I missed out on 15%, according to Con-
everything," Whitely, 67, sumer Brands Association
said. "I'm going to have to President and CEO Geoff
hunt around for stuff now." Freeman. Part of the scar-
Shortages at U.S. grocery city consumers are see-
stores have grown more ing on store shelves is due
acute in recent weeks as to pandemic trends that
new problems — like the never abated - and are
fast-spreading omicron exacerbated by omicron.
variant and severe weath- Americans are eating at
er — have piled on to the home more than they used
supply chain struggles and to, especially since offices
labor shortages that have and some schools remain Associated Press
plagued retailers since the closed. The average U.S. year, according to FMI, a That was down from the that households spent in
coronavirus pandemic be- household spent $144 per trade organization for gro- peak of $161 in 2020, but 2019.
gan. week at the grocery last ceries and food producers. still far above the $113.50 Continued on Page 2