Egg Prices Hit Record Highs, New York Bodegas Get Creative And Sell Three Packs For $2.99

Egg prices have soared in recent months and stores are taking action to limit purchases in the wake of rising bird flu cases that could see costs continue to rise.

What Happened: The cost of eggs was up 15.2% in the month of January, the largest increase since June 2015, which made the food item one of the biggest factors of rising inflation in the latest CPI report.

A dozen eggs costs $4.95 nationwide on average and the U.S. Department of Agriculture predicts the cost could rise another 45% in 2025 as bird flu cases rise.

Retailers including Costco COST, Trader Joe's and Sprouts Farmers Market SFM are limiting the number of eggs that consumers can buy in the wake of the surging prices and limited supplies, as reported by ABC News.

Bodegas in New York are taking matters into their own hands to offer a solution to consumers who need to buy a few eggs at a time and can't afford the $10+ cost per dozen eggs in the state.

Pamela's Green Deli in the Bronx is selling "loosie"-style eggs, similar to selling single cigarettes, to consumers, as reported by the New York Post.

"These people don't have enough money to buy a dozen eggs, so I have to sell them separately," Pamel's Green Deli owner Fernando Rodriguez told the Post. "When I saw how high the price of eggs has become, we decided to break it down into small bags."

Rodriguez said the store previously sold a dozen eggs for $2.49 before the recent spikes related to bird flu. A plastic bag of three eggs now sells for $2.99 at the store.

The store, which serves a large number of low-income consumers, is seeing demand for the loosies over buying a dozen eggs at a time. Rodriguez said around one-third of the store's customers are buying the three packs rather than the dozen eggs.

Rodriguez, who is from the Dominican Republic, said that his home country used to sell single eggs. "I know how difficult it is for families to afford eggs and milk."

Other bodegas are catching on to the practice and using the same method. According to the report, selling cigarettes individually is illegal and selling eggs out of the dozen could also be a potential illegal practice.

Read Also: Inflation Runs Hot In January: ‘Houston We Have A Problem,’ Experts Warn

Why It's Important: The USDA reports that 150 million poultry birds have been killed since 2022 as bird flu continues to spread across the country. The spike in bird flu is leading to less egg-producing birds and causing shortages.

The number of poultry birds killed has risen in recent months with seven million in November, 18 million in December and 23 million in January.

On Wednesday, the state of Ohio reported its first human case of bird flu with a farm worker in Mercer County being infected. There have been 68 human cases of bird flu in 11 states since 2024, as reported by USA Today.  

People who work with poultry, dairy cows and waterfowl are most at risk of becoming infected with bird flu, like the Ohio worker.

Cal-Maine Foods Inc CALM, the nation's largest egg producer is likely to come under pressure as egg prices rise. The company's recent second-quarter financial results saw revenue of $954.7 million significantly beat a Street consensus estimate of $751.5 million.

The company has beaten analyst estimates for earnings per share and revenue in four straight quarters according to data from Benzinga Pro. The better-than-expected results come as the cost of eggs have soared for consumers.

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