China News Service, July 16 According to the US "World Journal" report, in the United States, since the epidemic, prices have been rising quietly but continuously.
After California restarts, people can go out shopping boldly, and feel it more.
And no one is more affected by rising prices than small businesses.
In San Francisco's Chinatown, whether in supermarkets, small household appliances stores, or restaurants, people can hear the helplessness and sigh of rising prices.
A Guangdong shopping mall in Chinatown is a medium-sized old store that sells tourist souvenirs, jewelry and household goods.
In response to the increase in operating costs, the prices of most merchandise in the store have increased by about 10%.
According to the sales manager of the mall, because it is very difficult to recruit workers now, the cost of personnel salary has increased a lot, coupled with the increase in logistics costs, the prices of goods in the store have to be increased.
In particular, we are currently facing the uncertainty that the purchase price will increase every two or three weeks.
"We also have no choice. If the price is not increased, the cost will be too high to bear. But on the other hand, we can't completely bear the customers. To preserve the image and brand of our store, no matter how difficult it is, we must continue to open it and we cannot close ."
The sales manager reluctantly said that with the increase in commodity prices, many customers would not dare to consume as much as before. They would just buy the items they liked before, without thinking too much.
Now it’s time to shop around before making a decision.
When asked if you have ever thought about opening an online store or adding other sales methods to improve sales performance, the sales manager replied: "Opening an online store requires hiring more employees. The difficulty of hiring and the high cost of purchasing are two of the current issues. Big problem. Therefore, there is no time to innovate or think of other ways. I can only manage more diligently every day, hoping to spend this difficult time with the store employees."
Beijing Sijiucheng Hotel has the same situation as the Guangdong shopping mall, but the manager of the hotel, Mr. Guan, is still full of confidence in the future business development.
Mr. Guan looks very optimistic: "Now the prices of all the ingredients have risen, and some of the beverages and beverages supplied from China have stopped supplying due to logistics reasons. New suppliers have been found, and the prices have increased a lot. On the one hand, because of the government's unemployment subsidy during the epidemic, it is now more difficult to recruit full-time employees. I can only do more by myself. But I believe it will get better after a while."
He also said: "The cost is rising, but considering the customer's acceptance, the only way to start is to adjust the price of individual menus, and slowly increase the price." Operating in a difficult situation, there are still some ways to adapt to changes.
Visiting several other small household appliances stores on Washington Street, the shopkeepers complained and complained again and again about this wave of price increases.
A shopkeeper surnamed Liu was even more excited: “Because of the rising cost of purchases, the competition is fierce, but the price of the goods cannot be adjusted simultaneously. We have changed from the three previous stores to one store. I don’t know yet this last How long can it last?"
Consumers, of course, feel the same price pressures as businesses.
Recently, California oil prices have remained high. Many people have been complaining. In fact, when you look at the supermarket, you will know that everything for food is rising.
Ms. Zhao, who went to the Chinatown supermarket to buy vegetables and shop, said: “The price increase is too obvious. All the goods are more expensive than before. Even the cheapest green vegetables before have risen by 30% to 40%. Before with 300 yuan. You can go shopping, now you have to bring 500 to 600 yuan." (Li Yi)