STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — Soaring grocery prices are reshaping how Staten Island families shop, with coffee and beef leading nationwide price hikes that are pushing household budgets to the breaking point.
Labor Department data reported by The Wall Street Journal shows coffee prices jumped 20.9% over the 12 months ending in August to $8.87 per pound — nearly $1 more than in May. Ground beef rose 12.8% to a record $6.32 per pound. Even the humble banana increased more than 6%. (They’re still 69 cents a pound at Gerardi’s in New Brighton, as of this writing — a small win for fruit lovers.)
According to The Wall Street Journal, overall inflation this year has been far below the surge of pandemic-fueled price increases in 2022, when it hit its highest level in four decades. However, the August inflation report showed grocery-price inflation accelerating, with dairy, fruits, vegetables, and cereals all becoming pricier.
Trader Joe’s opened its second Staten Island location on Monday, Sept. 23, at 6400 Amboy Rd. in Pleasant Plains, unveiling a 12,000-square-foot store.(Advance/SILive.com | Pamela Silvestri)Staples and best pricing
Various Staten Island families recently shared how rising prices have reshaped their grocery routines.
An Eltingville mom said she now makes Trader Joe’s “a mandatory stop, because they have the best prices — especially for fruits and vegetables. I pay much closer attention to sales now, which I never used to do.”
A Tottenville retiree shared: “I switched to home delivery (Whole Foods or Amazon Fresh) because of two surgeries this year. Now that I’m back on my feet, I shop Trader Joe’s for groceries and Target for other household items. Trader Joe’s has the best prices on most staples, in my opinion.”
Some shoppers are making drastic changes to avoid high meat prices. A West Brighton retiree said her family jokes about shopping at a local market “where prices are outrageous, but we’re not willing to deal with traffic or crowded parking lots just to find bargains.” Instead of buying meat at local shops, she said she chooses to “eat at a restaurant and bring home half the meal for the next day.”
The borough’s newest ShopRite on Staten Island opened in September at 150 Greaves Lane in the Evergreen Plaza. The store offers a massive produce area and chef-prepared food inventory. STATEN ISLAND ADVANCE
A woman with a family of four from Grasmere said she’s definitely more cautious with her spending when food shopping. She explained she’s stopped making frequent trips to a smaller food store, where she added that prices seem higher than at larger supermarkets. Instead, she said she shops at ShopRite twice a month, focusing on sale items from the weekly flier and stocking up — sometimes wondering if she has enough fridge or freezer space. She said she’s also relaxed her spending at Costco, noting that even bulk items come with sticker shock, especially at checkout.
A Concord resident said she now bounces between Met Food for fresh meat and fruit, and ShopRite for general and prepared foods. She noted that her choices are driven more by product quality than price.
Met Food locations in Grasmere and Castleton Corners have a unique niche in the borough with their fresh fish departments, deli counters and meat sections. Shifting loyalties
Store loyalty has shifted as well. A Silver Lake mother of two said her family now travels to Stop & Shop in Port Richmond instead of a closer, smaller store, because “it’s not worth the cost of their more expensive groceries.”
The Wall Street Journal attributed price increases partly to rising commodity costs and tariffs on imported goods, such as Spanish olive oil, Guatemalan bananas, and Vietnamese shrimp.
More than 100 shoppers lined up for Aldi’s grand opening on Thursday, June 26, 2025, as the discount grocer opened its second Staten Island location in New Dorp. (Advance/SILive | Jessica Jones-
Economists said inflation is driven by a mix of global supply chain disruptions, labor shortages, and increased transportation costs. The Federal Reserve’s interest rate hikes have helped slow overall inflation, but food prices remain stubbornly high due to weather-related crop issues and geopolitical tensions affecting imports.
Staten Island’s geography and traffic patterns can make grocery trips time-consuming — especially for residents without a car. North Shore shoppers relying on public transit often travel farther to reach discount stores than those on the South or West shores. For drivers, crossing the Bayonne Bridge to big-box grocers may save 10 minutes or more compared to heading to Costco in New Springville, depending on the day and time.
Over the summer, Stop & Shop lowered prices on thousands in its five Staten Island locations.Courtesy of Stop & Shop
Despite the toll, some shoppers find it worthwhile, especially given the difference in sales tax rates: New York City applies a tax on specific items like soda and candy at 8.875%, while New Jersey’s rate is lower at 6.625%. With similar exemptions for basic groceries, the savings can add up –particularly for bulk-buying families.
New stores, new hope
Staten Island shoppers may find relief as several new grocery stores have opened this year, creating more competition for their hard-earned dollars. ShopRite of Evergreen Plaza opened last month at 100 Greaves Lane in Great Kills, offering 62,000 square feet of fresh groceries, chef-prepared foods, and online shopping. ALDI opened in June at 430 New Dorp Lane, promising low prices and organic produce with curbside pickup. For some South Shore residents, Trader Joe’s opening at 6400 Amboy Road was a game-changer. Lidl’s Staten Island Mall location, which debuted in December 2018, marked the retailer’s first store inside a mall — a milestone for both Lidl and the New Springville shopping center.
Fine Fare in Dongan Hills is a 9,000-square-foot store built from the ground up, featuring a full deli and meat department. It is located at 1689 Richmond Rd.-
On the East Shore, Fine Fare supermarket in Dongan Hills, at 1689 Richmond Rd., officially opened in December 2024. Built from the ground up, the 9,000-square-foot store features a full deli and meat department, with a Starbucks conveniently located across the parking lot. It filled a void for Dongan Hills residents and became a more convenient option for shoppers who previously relied on smaller butchers and gourmet delis, where prices tend to be higher.
Food Dynasty of Rosebank, located in the former Top Tomato space at 1071 Bay St., underwent several months of renovations before its grand opening celebration in June 2025.
The C-Town Supermarket, located at 1234 Castleton Ave., West Brighton, opened in December 2024. Mike Matteo
C-Town Supermarket opened in December 2024 at 1234 Castleton Ave., providing a full deli and meat department in a 6,000-square-foot store for North Shore residents. In the months leading up to C-Town’s debut, the nearby Key Food began sprucing up its parking lot and making cosmetic upgrades to its storefront.
Despite the growth in shopping options, some shoppers said they remain frustrated with pricing practices. On the Advance/SILive.com Instagram page, one commenter criticized a local grocery store, opining: “Instead of needing the store’s membership card to get the sale price, they should just lower prices for everyone. Take care of the customers who keep you in business. That line on the receipt, ‘You saved $11.50 today’ is such BS.”
The good news? Staten Island shoppers have never faced as many choices as they do today when it comes to the food they eat.
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