WHEAT RIDGE, Colo. — Your local grocery store is a place many may know best. At Heinie's Market in Wheat Ridge, their longtime customers have kept the store going since 1970.
“Yeah we’ve got good customers that support us," said Manager Justin Sanchez.
Their customers however, have not been immune to the inflation rate that's impacted millions across the country and in Colorado.
According to a report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, consumer prices rose 9.1% last month in a year-over-year comparison. That's the highest rate since 1981.
The "food at home" index, which indicates prices of groceries, also went up 12.2% compared to a year ago, which is it's biggest climb since 1979.
“It’s hard and fast and we’re trying to do our best with our prices," said fellow Heinie's Market manager Kole Silz.
For the store, Sanchez explained that they believe much of the prices for their supply is up anywhere between 10 and 30 percent.
In part, it starts with fuel costs, since they estimate that they get 70% of their supply from farms in the western slope. He adds that the costs of farmers also play a role.
“Everything from start to finish for the farmers have gone up including labor," Sanchez said.
At Marczyk Fine Foods, owner Pete Marczyk said they're seeing cost pressure throughout their supply chain.
Labor he says, is another issue they're facing and the costs including insurance and other benefits.
Since they're seeing price increases sometimes twice a month from their vendor, Marczyk said they've had to depart from a long-held pricing system in which they reviewed their costs monthly or quarterly, to weekly.
