The supermarket industry is "hanging in there" as more people economize by eating at home, said Don Weiss, president of region-based WiseWay Foods.
"It makes an awful lot of sense," he said. "For the cost of three cups of Starbucks, you can pay for an entire can of coffee in our stores, and it makes, what, 100 cups."
The price of one entree at a good restaurant will pay for a complete meal for a family of four, he said.
"It's a trend that's continuing, so our sales have been positive," Weiss said.
The return to homemade meals began when gasoline prices escalated in the past 12 months, and families' disposable incomes shifted to their gas tanks, Weiss said.
The recent drop in commodity prices has lowered the price of milk and private-label cheese, and beef prices should also begin falling, he said.
"Things where there are the fewest steps between the field and the customers will come down faster," Weiss said. "Process food prices come down slower as they work through the system."
- Andrea Holecek
