Vintage grocery store ads from the 1960s are giving Americans a nostalgic look at a time when many grocery staples cost just pennies compared with today’s prices.
A Look Back at Grocery Shopping
The decades-old newspaper advertisements offer a glimpse into how Americans once shopped and how much grocery prices and shopping habits have changed over the years.
The advertisements feature prices that seem almost impossible by today’s standards, from steak selling for less than a dollar a pound to five pounds of sugar for just 49 cents.
However, after adjusting for inflation, some grocery staples cost about the same as they do today, while others remain significantly more expensive.
For example, sirloin steak sold for 78 cents per pound in 1966, which works out to about $7.95 in today’s dollars, well below modern prices of roughly $17.99 per pound.
On the other hand, a dozen medium eggs that cost 55 cents in 1966 would equal about $5.60 today after adjusting for inflation, while shoppers can now find a dozen medium eggs for as little as $1.59.
Then and Now
The vintage ads also offer a snapshot of grocery shopping in another era, when families commonly bought 25-pound bags of potatoes, large canned hams and pound-sized bags of potato chips.
Shoppers also stocked up on products such as oleo, a popular butter substitute.
In recent years, vintage grocery advertisements have fueled conversations on social media, with users comparing old supermarket prices to today’s grocery bills.
Original reporting: Fox News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
