The Times monthly survey of the cost...
The Times monthly survey of the cost of goods and services commonly purchased by Southern California residents saw the overall cost of a basketful of grocery items drop in January, pushed downward by sales on a variety of goods. Each month, five grocery stores are checked in various parts of the Southland to obtain a snapshot of consumer prices.
Highlight: Broccoli has been one of the major variables in the produce section for several months; crop damage caused by the ash white fly in the Imperial Valley caused price increases, which at times were offset as the popular vegetable reached harvest in other parts of the country. In January, the price of broccoli dropped 43%. Potatoes, which are in good supply because of their winter harvest season, also showed a drop in price.
Groceries
Dec. Jan. % Chg. Chicken (per lb., best of fryer cut up) $1.42 $1.31 -8% 13-oz. can of coffee $2.28* $2.37 +4% 1 dz. eggs (grade AA large) $2.09 $1.74 -17% 24 oz. Wheat Bread $2.03 $2.09 +3% 1 lb. pinto beans $0.51 $0.50 -2% 10-lb. bag of potatoes $1.44* $1.27* -12% Navel oranges (per lb.) $0.56* $0.62 +11% 1 gal. homogenized milk $2.55 $2.61 +2% 1 lb. broccoli (fresh) $1.04 $0.59 -43% 8-oz. package of chocolate candy $1.79 $1.78 ** Six-pack beer (12-oz. cans) $4.34 $4.58 +6% 1 doz. corn tortillas $0.41 $0.48 +17% 10-lb. bag dry dog food $6.45 $6.50 ** Super-concentrated detergent (30-load) $7.58 $7.12* -6% Toilet tissue (4-roll package) $1.38* $1.28 -7%
Eating out
Dec. Jan. % Chg. Fast-food cheeseburger $0.91 $0.89 -2%
Other goods and services
Dec. Jan. % Chg. 1 gal gas. (unleaded self-serve) $1.064 $1.079 +1% 3-pack, boys Size 12 cotton briefs $3.96 $3.96 unchg. Dry cleaning man’s two-piece suit $7.34 $7.34 unchg. Professional drain cleaning $44.56 $44.56 unchg. Manicure 7.60 $7.60 unchg.
* Includes at least one sale price. ** Less than 1% change.
Marketbasket
The cost of 15 grocery items tracked monthly by The Times moves in a narrow range through the year. Its lowest total in the last eight months came in January, when major Southland grocery chains had the most sales.
Nov., 1991: $36.7
Jan., 1992: $34.83