In the middle of December 2022, retail food sales values for all categories were above the same period 3 years ago, except alcohol

Chart shows the change in food sales overall and by category between 2019 and 2022

Comparing December 2022 retail food sales with December 2019—a 3-year range—provides a comparison of sales before the start of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. As of December 18, 2022, the value of retail food sales was higher than the same week in 2019 for all categories, except alcohol. The largest 3-year changes were for beverages, which in 2022 were 30.6 percent higher in sales value compared with 2019—and fats and oils, which were 25.5 percent higher.


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