CHRISTIANSTED — The US Virgin Islands’ Consumer Price Index (CPI), which measures a basket of goods and services, rose 9.8 percent annually in 2022, compared to 8.6 percent in 2021.
The increase in 2022 was the most significant increase recorded. US consumer prices rose 6.5 percent from December 2021 to December 2022, the Virgin Islands Bureau of Economic Research said in November 2023.
This week, St. Croix shopper Sammuel Mercado noticed that the prices of Hillshire Farms Oven Roasted Turkey Breast and Hillshire Farms Honey Roasted Turkey Breast was $17.99 per package in a local store.
Another shopper, Christopher Laplace in Kissimmee Florida, found that the advertised price for the same product online was only $6.78 at his local Walmart.
Screenshot of Christopher Laplace’s submission to Facebook.
Some people today on Facebook were outraged by the prices being commanded in local stores, while others allowed that the cost of shipping has driven up the price of groceries.
“All these good have to come in by boat shipping is expensive the government has nothing to do with shipping price why because it’s not their boat second when the goods reach here you got pay excise, third light bill , employees, and every other cost that comes with it so what do you expect?” Kool Kyat said. “But if they give it away don’t pay employees you all going still complain. Either I buy it or leave it simple.”
A reader on St. Croix disagreed.
“It’s OVERKILL NOW, Where is licensing and consumer as usual?” Robina Glaszcz said. “Failed failed administration.”
“They don’t care,” India Taino replied to Robina Glaszcz.
“I was told by a Plaza (Extra) employee that they increase their prices every Monday when I questioned why something I bought two weeks prior was now $4 more,” Lisarose Santiago de London said. “Well I left the item behind..”
“They said blame it on WAPA blackouts.” Ramos St. Thomas said. “Every time there’s a WAPA blackout the store’s light bill and water bill doubles so they double the price to pay WAPA.”
Original post from Sammuel Mercado in the Facebook group “What’s Going On St. Croix?”
Shipping is not an issue, when they team up and purchase products, these are vendors that been doing this for years and as a former business owner the merchandise being bought is so cheap and vendors get huge discounts on everything, the reason why prices are so high is because no one regulates the businesses, people are doing what they want in the VI,. Vi get proper workers pay proper salaries and the worker will stop taking money under the tables.