Publisher’s Toast: At Least the Price is Right

Our world continues to be turned upside down. Over the past few years, there have been so many dramatic and dire events and obstacles thrown our way. COVID-19 continues to be a bane of our existence, Aaron Judge won’t re-sign, and just TRY and find parking when you’re in a hurry.

Business as usual is no longer usual. We’ve had store closings, job losses, and, conversely, hiring issues. Due to trucking issues, there’s a lack of inventory when we actually have products to stock the shelves with. Raw material shortages, packaging shortfalls and rationing, in addition to cargo shipping container woes and a lack of drivers to haul product around the country continue to make us just a little crazy. Then, just as the country and the economy were stabilizing, and things were looking normal again, we were thrown another curveball (and Judge still won’t re-sign!). The recent Russian atrocity has flipped the world onto its back once again. The plight of the good people of Ukraine is beyond comprehension. Death and destruction of a free society is heartbreaking. Fuel prices have skyrocketed, the world economy has tanked and uncertainty reigns. When will it end?

After reading my columns for all these years, you know that I’m a cockeyed optimist and cheerleader for business in general, and beverages in particular, so I always look for silver linings. When I’m down, I always take to the streets of Manhattan to buoy and bolster myself. Yesterday I took a walk to find something positive to write about.

As I walked the stores, large and small, I found a common theme. I took solace in the idea that the beverage industry isn’t adding to the problems of our economy. They are still delivering the goods and stocking our shelves and keeping the supply chain working. With inflation reaching historic heights, the business doesn’t seem to be seeking to take advantage, unlike many other product categories. The pricing of beverages has not joined so many others in adding to the problems of a cash strapped society. I admire the marketers, distributors and retailers who are keeping the proper balance between serving their communities and still watching their bottom line. Too many other markets have lost the thread that we’re all here to serve and support our fellow citizens. I look at the price increases that abound, some justified, most not, and hope that they’ll step back and do the right thing and create that proper balance our industry seems to understand.

My wish is that by my next column, it’ll be all sunshine and roses. Today it’s not.