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Retail Food Prices Vary Significantly
Across U.S. Region
Ephraim
Leibtag
ERS estimates of retail
food price variation show that average
prices for 11 grocery store items were
8 percent higher than the national average
in the Northeast and 6 percent lower
in the Midwest for the years 2004-07.
Variations in regional food prices stem
from differences in production and transportation
costs and the level of retail competition
in each region. The differences are
noteworthy given that national food
price inflation over the period averaged
2.9 percent, implying that differences
across locations at a given point in
time are larger than the change in prices
over time.
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