For nearly five years, Americans have found themselves grappling with a persistent and stubborn inflation that refuses to ease its grip. Since March 2021, the rise in prices across sectors such as fuel, apparel, automotive, and groceries has consistently outpaced the 2 percent target that economists generally consider ideal for a stable economy.

This relentless surge in costs has mobilized consumers and workers alike, prompting them to vigilantly track and challenge unexpected price hikes. Within this climate of economic scrutiny, recent revelations from Kroger insiders have sparked fresh outrage.

In a startling development, a grocery store employee revealed an alarming 86 percent increase in the price of a common household item within just one week. This disclosure came to light when, in October, the employee shared photographic evidence on a Reddit forum, highlighting the dramatic price adjustment.

According to the post, the cost of an 80-count box of dryer sheets at Kroger jumped from $4.29 on October 8th to a staggering $7.99 just one week later. Such steep hikes are becoming a flashpoint for consumers already burdened by the ongoing inflationary pressures.

In October, an alleged grocery staffer at the chain posted a Reddit with photo evidence of a price change on an 80-count box of dryer sheets. 

On the 8th, the box cost $4.29. A week later, the identical product jumped to $7.99. 

The $3.70 price jump baffled store employees.  

‘It’s gotta be the biggest price jump I’ve seen between a single week for a regular price that didn’t involve a sale,’ the self-described staffer wrote. 

A self-described Kroger employee spotted an 86 percent price rise in their store during an October shelf update: ‘It’s gotta be the biggest price jump I’ve seen’

Store insiders have posted pictures of weekly price changes on Reddit several times this year, revealing some products are seeing increases that far outpace the rate of inflation

Another Redditor added: ‘Even $4.39 is outrageous!’  

Kroger, the third-largest grocery chain in the US, didn’t immediately respond to the Daily Mail’s request for comment on the price increase. 

The store’s price increases come as Americans are clenching their teeth for yet another high-priced holiday season. 

Inflation, which peaked above 9 percent in the summer of 2022, is still running hot at 3 percent, according to the latest federal government reading.

Prices at the grocery store, specifically, jumped 3.1 percent in the year to September. 

But there are some glimmers of hope for holiday-season saving: Thanksgiving dinner staples, including turkey, stuffing, and cranberries, have all seen price declines, according to the American Farm Bureau Federation. 

The association, which represents farmers, ranchers, and rural communities, said it expects a full plate of Thanksgiving essentials to cost $55.18 to feed 10 people, good for 5 percent less than in 2024.

That’s about $5.52 per person. 

Kroger, America’s third-largest grocery chain, has around 2,800 stores across the US, including its brand-name food marts

Retailers are also launching cost-cutting campaigns to combat higher prices.

Walmart, Target, and Aldi have all launched huge sales on essential items through the end of the year.  

But the cost-cutting campaigns have been too little, too late for many Americans who have already felt the squeeze of runaway price hikes. 

On Tuesday, the country’s benchmark consumer confidence index fell to its lowest mark since April. 

The somber mood was aided by consistent grocery price hikes and a growing amount of credit card debt. 

Recent big-name layoffs and a record-breaking government shutdown has also soured sentiment.  

‘It’s not too surprising that confidence continues to wane,’ Bret Kenwell, US investment analyst at eToro, told the Daily Mail. 

‘But we’ve seen an interesting twist over the past year, with November 2024’s consumer confidence report hitting one of its highest levels of the past few years. Now it’s at one of its lowest.’