Grape Prices Are Out of Control — Mom Slams Food Inflation

It’s pretty shocking that in a country that wastes 80 million tons of food every year (still less than India or China, USA! USA!) the biggest rising expenditure American families are forced to shell out their hard-earned cash for is…food. 76% of all US citizens are feeling the burn of food inflation, including a mom who recently went viral on TikTok complaining about the price of grapes.

TikToker Jessica Chase (@_jesschase) uploaded a viral clip delineating just how upset she was over what she paid for a single bag of grapes after her son requested them during a trip to the grocery store.

“How do grapes cost this much in 2024?!” a text overlay in the TikTok reads as Jessica records herself reaching for a bag of fruit, which she plops down on the table. She begins referencing the package of green grapes in her TikTok video.

“Ok where are these freaking grapes? Okay, how much do you think these non-organic grapes cost? Just, throwing it out there. They cost thirteen, freaking dollars. I literally cannot believe that. I still ended up buying them because I let my son pick out one item from the store, and this is what he picked,” she said.

The mom continued to discuss the exorbitant price for the fruit: “But I cannot believe that standard grapes cost thirteen dollars. Insane,” she says in the video before it ultimately cuts out.

While many of these price hikes have been attributed to supply chain shortages which were caused by the halting of operations many companies faced in response to the social distancing and government-issued-stay-at-home mandates implemented in response to the fervor surrounding COVID-19, others have said that “greed” is the impetus behind the cost increases — like this dad who was shocked to spend $53 for Taco Bell for a family of four.

It’s not hard to understand why he would feel this way: McDonald’s has been previously called out by consumers for price “gouging” consumers, and the criticism has been so persistent that reps from the popular burger franchise have even addressed these concerns and said that lowering its prices will become a top priority.

Business Insider has reported that the chain has lost a sizable amount of lower-income shoppers, which could ultimately harm the chain’s bottom line if this consumer base heads to other fast food joints for food-away-from-home wares, and then become accustomed to these offerings. If inflation rates do subside and competing fast casual chains begin to decrease the prices of their offerings, then McDonald’s could find itself in a real pickle.