Egg prices in U.S. grocery stores reached a record high last month, as ongoing bird flu outbreaks limit supply.
The average cost of a dozen Grade A eggs reached $4.95 in January, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That mark beat a previous record of $4.82 from January 2022 and is more than double the average price of a carton in August 2023.
The pinch isn't just being felt by retail shoppers. Restaurants around the United States are having to raise the price of egg-related dishes to make up for the increased cost. Always open diner chain Waffle House has added a 50-cent surcharge to egg-based items. Local restaurants that can't benefit from scale are hurting deeply. The New York Times shared the story of an Ohio diner where the price of a week’s supply of eggs jumped by hundreds of dollars, forcing a price hike.
"I said I wasn’t going to do it, but this is crushing me,” Karen Huebner of Walton Hills' Hot Grillz Diner told the outlet. "My loyal customers would rather pay 50 cents more an egg right now than to see these doors close because I can’t pay my rent."
Prices are estimated to get worse this year, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Grocery stores have responded to dwindling supply and rising prices by implementing limits on the amount of eggs that customers can buy. Analysts who spoke to the Times say two things need to happen for egg prices to stabilize: the bird flu petering out and a decline in hoarding.
“Consumers have largely adapted to higher grocery costs, so even at $5 per dozen, demand remains strong,” Expana's Karyn Rispoli told the outlet. “And with eggs making national headlines daily, there may also be an element of panic buying, further fueling demand.”
Democrats have pounced on the price surge and scarcity of eggs as an extremely visible indicator of the Trump administration's incompetence.
"Most things are still more expensive than they were a year ago and some are much higher," the Democratic National Committee wrote in a news release. "Consumers have been experiencing sticker shock when buying eggs, coffee or other grocery staples."
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