It feels like everything is more expensive these days — and for the most part, that’s true. However, some companies have made a point of keeping their iconic value items affordable, and other everyday costs have remained the same (or even dropped) as technology advances.
Consumer prices have increased by about 23% overall since February 2020, and prices are still rising for many items, with the current annual inflation rate at 2.8%. But here are six things that have not gotten more expensive, despite all of the inflation in the last five years:
Costco’s rotisserie chickens
Costco famously sells its pre-cooked rotisserie chickens for $4.99, significantly undercutting grocery stores that generally charge $7 or more. The price hasn’t changed in 15 years even though Costco would almost certainly make more money if it raised the cost.
Costco sold more than 150 million rotisserie chickens last year. Customers love the deal because it’s one of the cheapest, easiest ways to put a healthy dinner on the table. And that’s the reason the warehouse club doesn’t change the price: It drives people to Costco more often than they would otherwise go. Those shoppers are adding other higher-margin items to their carts on these extra trips, and the chicken deal helps justify their membership.
Costco’s long-running $1.50 hot dog and soda combo has also survived inflation.
Other mega-retailers have similarly offered inflation-proof meals to attract shoppers. Sam’s Club still runs a $2.50 pizza and soda combo deal and prices its rotisserie chickens 1 cent below Costco’s, at $4.98. Ikea also sells ultra-cheap food items: Last year, the company lowered the typical price for its popular hot dogs from $1 to 75 cents.
Televisions and other electronics
Modern televisions are thinner and cheaper to make than their predecessors, and innovation in flatscreen TVs has continued to drive prices down in the last five years. TV prices are 27.6% lower compared to February 2020, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Price Index, or CPI, data.
The government’s data actually takes into account the quality of the TV you’re getting. Depending on the size, TVs can still be expensive, but you’re getting a much better product for your money. Basically, technology improvements can make electronic items appear cheaper in the CPI even if prices aren’t changing as much.
The same thing has happened with smartphones, which are down 58.7% in the last five years, according to CPI data. However, a report from Counterpoint shows that average smartphone sale prices increased from $287 to $356 globally from 2020 to 2024. Prices for Apple iPhones increased from $724 to $903.
Economists at the Bureau of Labor of Statistics have explained that the stark drop in the smartphone price index is due mainly to quality improvements in technology as screens, cameras and processing have all improved.
Cellphone plans have also survived inflation: The “wireless telephone services” CPI category is up just 1.4% since 2020.
AriZona Iced Tea
AriZona Beverages is known for its 99-cent drinks, and the price hasn’t changed in more than three decades.
Last year, the company’s chairman, Don Vultaggio, went viral for a Today Show interview clip in which he was asked why not increase the price.
He responded: “We’re successful. We’re debt-free. We own everything,” he said. “Why have people who are having a hard time paying their rent have to pay more for our drink?”
Will the price ever change? Not in the “foreseeable future,” Vultaggio added.
To keep the price of its cans at 99 cents, the company did make some changes in 2022, reducing the size from 23 ounces to 22 ounces and increasing the price of some bottled drinks.
Whiskey
The price of whiskey has barely budged since 2020, increasing only 3.9%, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Bourbon has been one of the most popular spirits in the U.S. in recent years, and distilleries have ramped up production in the past decade. While many popular whiskeys take six years or more to age, it seems that supply may be catching up to demand.
Industry experts say that consumers have been cutting back on expensive alcohol purchases as their wallets have been stressed by rising interest rates and high prices for everything else. Lower demand and efficiency improvements in whiskey production are among the reasons that the whiskey index hasn’t gone up more.
Also, some whiskey drinkers are shopping for alternatives like cheaper store-brand spirits or other alcoholic beverages such as beer, according to CNN.
Bananas
Bananas are just about the cheapest thing you can get in the produce section, and the price has hardly changed since 2020. Prices have increased by 5.2% since then, so you might be paying a few more cents per bunch than you once did. But that’s probably not one of your top concerns when it comes to grocery prices.
Women’s clothes
Prices in a handful women’s clothing categories are either down or just up slightly since 2020. Those include dresses (-8.3%), outerwear (3.7%) and women’s suits (2.7%).
How are retailers keeping prices down in the face of inflation? Media reports have indicated that fast fashion and lower production quality may be why prices have stayed flat.
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