Soo Expensive

 I've always kinda wondered about the customers who just seem to like ... not pay attention to the world around them? Like if it doesn't involve them personally they don't care. 

And there's multiple instances in regards to this.

But the one that comes to mind is just....when customers complain about prices increasing on product they buy. 

Like today I had a customer insist that a specific cat toy she's 'always' bought has 'always' been like $1.99. But it was ringing up at the register as $2.99 today and "that had to be wrong." 

Which yes, prices can sometimes be wrong. So I went back (with the customer following me) to double check.

And she pointed to the tag saying $1.99. Going "That's it!" 

And I had to point to the price tag two tags over --as the cat toys were all mixed together into multiple bins. Where it said $2.99. And show them that the UPC on the tag matched the price on the shelf and that indeed the price for her little cat toy was now $2.99 instead of $1.99.

The kicker was.... the shelf strip didn't have any new stickers on it. So the prices for those toys hadn't been changed since we reset that toy section...and that toy section was reset months ago. 

So like....I'm sorry? That prices rose in however long it's been since you last came in? But like....they rose? 

She was like "Why did the prices increase!" 

And I ... I was *gesture to the world on fire around us* 

Like...lady. Do you live under a rock? 

EVERYWHERE has been increasing in prices. 

We literally had TWENTY-FIVE pages of price changes a couple days ago that we had to go through and change the prices on items to make them MORE expensive. 

"Why?" are the changing? Who knows. It could be manufacturing costs. It could be general corporate greed. It could be the stupid Tariffs. It could be the phase of the moon. Who knows. 

But overall. It's kinda a stupid question at this point to ask "Why are things more expensive." 

Like if you pay attention at all to the political world you KNOW why things are getting stupid expensive. 

GREED. 

Is there anything I can do about it? 

Not really no. I'm a cog in the wheel. I'm not the battery that runs the entire clock. Sorry not sorry. 

But seriously.

It is frustrating. 

Because owning a pet is beginning to feel like a rich person hobby. 

Like big bags of dog food are routinely $50-$100 now. 

Cat food is not far behind.

The animals themselves have gotten more expensive too.

Like when I started hamsters were like $10. This week the price increased a $1 to be $23 each. 

Parakeets used to be like maybe $20. They're now $45. 

The freaking Conure that sold for $350 at one point increased it's price last week to $800. 

Fish tanks too have doubled or tripled in price. a $30 ten gallon tank is now usually $80. 

Fish themselves have gone from being $1-$3 to $3-$5 for the 'cheaper' ones. Like guppies and platys and such. 

Crickets have gone from being like 10 cents each to 17 cents each. 

Everything is getting more expensive. 

And I keep hoping prices will decrease....and they don't.

At this point it's mostly a matter of keeping an eye out for a good sale and stocking up while you can because who knows what the future will hold. Your $70 on sale for $45 today may a few months down the road become $90 on sale for $70. 

It's frustrating. 

And I feel for customers who come in expecting their items to be a certain price only to find they've become more expensive. I feel that burn too. 

And who knows when or if that burn will ever fade. 

Until you next find these words;
I'll be watching the leaves.
Enjoy the day!

-Sarnic Dirchi