The World’s Finest Chocolate Bars have doubled in price since last year. photo by Evelyn Jackson
Inflation has hit TJ’s student-run stores and concessions.
For the past few years, inflation has been a concern on everyone’s mind. With the prices of gas, eggs, and other necessities at a record high, reasonably priced products have become all the more valuable. School stores and club-run concessions have always been an affordable option for teenagers at Thomas Jefferson High School in need of a quick snack fix. However, this year it seems all the prices are doubling.
The Spartan Snack Shack, more commonly known as the DECA store, used to sell everything but bottled drinks for $1. Prior to this year, their most popular deal was two fresh baked cookies for the price of $1. However, this year that deal became one cookie for $1, doubling the original price. DECA advisor Matt Nicolo says this is due to “tariffs that led to our current supplier having to move their manufacturing facility from Canada to North America, which increased the wholesale cost, therefore leading to us raising our retail cost.” At the beginning of the school year, when people first realized the price increase, the indignation was clear. TJ senior Brendan Seitz said, “When I first found out about the price change I was outraged, for as long as I’ve been here they have always been two for a dollar. Me and my friend George used to split the two cookies between us, but now we no longer can due to the price augmentation.”
On the subject of expensive cookies The cookies that TJ’s Black Student Alliance (BSA) sell after school also increased in price. Last year, they had the same two-cookies-for-$1 deal as the DECA store. They typically sold them at basketball games and occasionally after school. However, due to inflation and the need for more club funds, the prices have doubled to one cookie for $1. This year BSA’s cookie sales have dropped, which can possibly be tied to the price increase. However, they are making up for the lost cookie sales in $2 ice cream sandwich sales, which have been very successful.
The most recent example of inflation within the school is the price of the World’s Finest Chocolate bars sold by SkillsUSA members. Every year, SkillsUSA members sell individual chocolate bars for a few months for $1 each. However, this year, similar to the previous examples, the price has doubled to $2. This is due to a number of unfortunate events, the main one being the shortage of cocoa beans. The shortage came about because of adverse weather conditions, pest outbreaks, and supply tightness in West Africa, which produces around three-quarters of the global supply. Additionally, the numerous tariffs on trade that Donald Trump imposed placed upward pressure on the price of chocolate. Lastly, the EU has placed more restrictions on harvesting in the name of sustainability. All of these factors contribute to the shortage of cocoa beans in the U.S, directly affecting how expensive chocolate has become. The doubling in price has not only caused frustration in the customers, but has also negatively impacted the sellers. Brooklyn Darden, a TJ junior who has been selling the chocolates for the past two years, noted that sales have definitely paled in comparison to last year. She also said, “Before I make a sale, someone will complain.”
Clearly, inflation at TJ is negatively affecting everyone involved. School businesses are suffering due to the lack of sales, and student sellers are getting negative comments by students frustrated by the situation. As inflation rates decrease and, according to J.P.Morgan, weather conditions hopefully improve in West Africa, there’s hope for the prices to return to normal in the future.
