美国民众花在食品上的钱更多 但是买的却更少了 Americans are spending more on groceries. But they’re buying less

美国食品生产商的报告显示，今年以来美国的食品销售额有所上涨，然而业内人士指出，这并不意味着美国民众手头宽裕了，销售额上涨是因为食品涨价，实际上，食品销量一直在下降。

The past few months of robust grocery store sales would suggest that shoppers aren’t stretched for cash. But that’s not the full story.

过去几个月美国食品杂货店强劲的销售额是否意味着消费者的手头不再拮据了？事实并非你所看到的那样。

Food manufacturers like Kellogg, PepsiCo and Nestlé all reported sales growth in the first quarter of the year.

家乐氏、百事和雀巢等食品生产商今年一季度报告的产品销售额都有所上涨。

But even though sales are up, people are buying less. Growth has been fueled by higher prices, which offset declining volumes.

然而，虽然销售额上涨了，但人们买的却更少了。销售额上涨源于食品提价，更高的价格补偿了销量下降导致的差额。

"If you look at the top-line dollar sales, it is obviously very positive,” said Alastair Steel, executive, client engagement for market research firm Circana. “But it really is driven by price increases.”

市场调研机构Circana负责接洽客户的高管阿拉斯泰尔·斯蒂尔说：“如果你看新闻报道的销售额，显然情况非常乐观，但实际上销售额上涨是因为价格提高了。”

This year through May 21, compared to the same period in 2022, sales of fresh eggs by volume fell 4.7%, milk dropped 3.9%, packaged bread fell 3.8%, and fresh root vegetables slid 3.5%, according to Circana, which tracks US retail sales. In that time, dollar sales of eggs rose by 41.2%, milk rose by 0.9%, bread jumped 8.5% and fresh root vegetables rose 10.7%.

Circana追踪美国零售销量的数据显示，从今年年初到5月21日为止，鲜蛋销量同比下降了4.7%，牛奶销量下降了3.9%，袋装面包销量下降了3.8%，新鲜根茎类蔬菜销量下降了3.5%。同一期间，鲜蛋销售额提高了41.2%，牛奶销售额提高了0.9%，面包销售额提高了8.5%，新鲜根茎类蔬菜销售额提高了10.7%。

Prices of each of these items rose during that period. Fresh eggs shot up 48.2%, milk rose 5%, bread rose 12.7% and fresh root vegetables went up 14.7%.

在此期间这些品类的价格都上涨了。鲜蛋价格上涨了48.2%，牛奶价格上涨了5%，面包价格上涨了12.7%，新鲜根茎类蔬菜上涨了14.7%。

Steel noted that early in the pandemic, when people stopped eating at restaurants and stocked up on pantry staples, unit sales soared. Since then, they’ve been coming down. Some of that can be attributed to an “unwinding” of that 2020 boom, he noted. At that time, people could also use Covid stimulus payments to cover costs. Those who were working from home didn’t have to spend money commuting.

斯蒂尔指出，在疫情初期，人们不再去餐厅吃饭，并大量囤积主食，当时单位产品销售额大幅上涨。自那以后，食品销售额一直在回落。斯蒂尔指出，食品销售额下降一部分可以归结于2020年囤粮高潮的退去。那时候，人们还可以用新冠经济刺激补助来支付家用，而且那些居家办公的人不用在通勤上花钱。

By volume, grocery sales are still generally up compared to 2019, he noted. But that increase isn’t so much a sign of extra cash — it’s a sign that people are trading down from restaurants to preparing food at home.

斯蒂尔指出，现在的食品销售额相比2019年大体上还是有所增加的，但是销售额增加并不意味着人们手头宽裕了，而是意味着人们为了节省开支不去餐厅吃饭而改成在家做饭。

Dining in isn’t the only way that people are saving. Some Americans are trading down by going for cheaper items, or shopping at bargain stores.

在家吃饭不是人们省钱的唯一方式。有些美国人为了省钱而购买更便宜的商品，或去特价商店购物。

In the year through April, food prices went up by 7.7%, with grocery prices rising 7.1% and menu prices increasing 8.6%, according to the latest data from the BLS’ Consumer Price Index. Prices overall rose 4.9% throughout the year.

美国劳工统计局的消费者价格指数显示，今年年初到4月为止的这段时间，美国食品价格上涨了7.7%，菜价上涨了7.1%，菜单定价上涨了8.6%。全年食品价格总体上涨4.9%。

"I don’t believe that price is going to come down,” said Steel. “The rate of increase is starting to slow down and stop. But it’s not completely gone away. We are still seeing prices, month over month, they’re still going up — although much less than they were.”

斯蒂尔说：“我认为食品价格降不下来。食品价格上涨速度开始放缓，但并没有停止上涨。我们看到，食品价格仍然一个月比一个月高，不过远远没有之前涨得那么凶了。”

英文来源：美国有线电视新闻网

翻译&编辑：丹妮