as the raw materials and costs of some commodities go up, their prices naturally go up.

Take mineral water as an example. Last year, the international oil price remained high, which made the purchase cost of pet (a plastic material) higher. Coupled with the cost of packaging materials such as cartons, labels and shrink films, the gross profit margin of Nongfu Spring decreased from 61.9% in the same period of last year to 59.3% in the first half of 2122. With the increase of upstream costs, the price of bottled water naturally rose.

Even before McDonald's paid attention to the price increase at will, catering brands such as Haidilao, Xibei, Luckin Coffee and Chabaidao had already raised their prices. The reasons for the price increase in the catering industry also point to the increase in raw materials and employment costs.

The Report on the Development Status and Market Research and Analysis of Catering Industry in China in 2122 released by Ai Media Consulting revealed that the three highest catering costs were raw material cost (41.8%), labor cost (21.3%) and three expenses (21.2%), among which raw material cost accounted for the highest proportion.

However, from another perspective, this may be a good thing for consumers. The increase in cost and fierce market competition can, to some extent, force businesses to make improvements.

with the development of economy and the change of people's consumption concept, price is no longer the only indicator for consumers to judge. The quality of food, supporting services and dining environment constitute people's comprehensive evaluation of a restaurant. Even if the price is higher, a good experience will still make consumers feel worthwhile. On the other hand, businesses whose prices are not low, but whose meals or service environment have no characteristics, will be eliminated by the market.

Third, people with different needs in different regions have different perceptions of prices. People feel that food, clothing, housing and transportation are the main sources of rising prices, while China's cpi consists of eight categories: food, tobacco, alcohol and supplies, clothing, household equipment, medical care, transportation and communication, entertainment, education and culture, and housing. This year, the price of hotel catering industry has increased, but the sales of automobiles, electronic products and other commodities are still low. In these aspects, people's current demand potential needs to be further released.

moreover, prices are naturally different in different regions. According to statistics from the National Bureau of Statistics, in February, the highest cpi index in all provinces in China was 1.7% in Jiangsu, and the lowest was 1.3% in Guizhou. For the same commodity, when people in Jiangsu complained about high prices, people in Guizhou might even ask "I don't think the price has increased".

Therefore, our perception of prices often has certain limitations and cannot represent the real situation of the whole society.

From another perspective, with the rising prices of some commodities, we can see the recovery of tourism and catering industry. Only by making money flow in the market and injecting it into entities can we really promote economic development.