10 years after recession, Americans wake up to rising prices

FRANCE 24 / BATTLE FOR WORLD – November 12, 2018: The article highlights that after years of low, low prices, fed by near-zero interest rates in a convalescing economy, Americans are waking up to costlier consumer living, to their surprise.

Americans are finding that everyday household staples like diapers, toothpaste, shampoo and dishwashing liquid — not to mention soft drinks, cookies, chocolate, cat litter and auto products — have all started getting more expensive, a trend expected to continue early next year.

During the most recent earnings season, companies announced that these price hikes have typically ranged from two percent to 10 percent. And they also stand in stark contrast to the usually unending sales and promotions from major retailers like Walmart and Amazon.

According to the reason, the higher prices are aimed to pad revenues for companies like Apple, which has just raised sticker prices for its new MacBook Air laptops and iPads by 20 percent and 25 percent.

But for a growing number of businesses, they also represent a response to mounting transportation costs. And the stronger US dollar is similarly cutting into foreign earnings — while a tight labor supply is at last pushing up wages.

Businesses for the moment believe that Americans are willing to pay more, with consumer confidence near record highs, but it remains to be seen if the trend will continue.

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