World Perspectives

Food Inflation: At Home versus Away from Home

Food inflation continues to be a hot topic. Last week, the Bureau of Labor Statistics released the consumer price index (CPI) for September. The food index was up 0.9 percent in September, after increasing 0.4 percent in August. On an annualized basis, monthly food inflation in September would be 10.8 percent.  Since September 2020 however, food prices are up 4.6 percent; that breaks down to food at home up 4.5 percent and food away from home at 4.7 percent. Restaurants were the final category of overall retailers to move back above February 2020 sales levels, and that didn’t happen until April 2021. Compared to February 2020, restaurant sales are now up 9.3 percent.   Since 2015, the food away from home (restaurant s...

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From WPI Consulting

Weighing in on strategic realignment

WPI’s team was retained by the governing board of a U.S. industry organization to review a decision, reached by vote, to invest significant assets into the development and management of an export trading company. WPI’s team conducted a formal review of this decision and concluded that the current level of market saturation would limit the benefits of the investment. Based on WPI’s analysis and recommended actions, the board subsequently reversed its decision and undertook a strategic planning effort to identify more impactful investments. On behalf of numerous clients, WPI has not only assisted in identifying strategic paths but also advised their implementation.

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