- Recent inflation reports say prices have dropped in the last month
- Neighbors in Crawfordville say they're still feeling the impact
- Watch the video to see what local business owners had to say about the current economic situation
Broadcast Transcript:
Experts say inflation rates have dropped within the last month, but many businesses are still feeling the impact.
I’m Kenzie Krueger in Crawfordville.
I"m checking with my neighborhood to see what inflation is doing to the community.
“That’s the goal here, to make everyone feel special.”
Sherese Gainous owns Beautiful Things 4 U Boutique and Klassichic along with her niece Kay.
And there’s something for everybody. They have hair products for all hair types, accessories, wigs and clothes. It’s something Gainous says it’s what this area needed.
“The need was here for a small boutique, an affordable boutique.”
Affordable options are what many people are looking for during this time, but actually experts say prices have dropped recently.
Consumer prices increased by 0.3% from March to April. The Labor Department reported that it’s down 0.4% from the month prior.
Although inflation reports are lower, business owners like Gaines say they’re still feeling the impact.
“With the cost of everything we had to let the staff go so it’s just us running it now and that was unfortunate because we wanted staff, but we just couldn’t afford it.”
Other business owners like Jahan Bahmani who owns Little Napoli Cafe say inflation has been challenging for him.
“It’s very hard losing customers because people having a hard time and with food prices going up all the time.”
He makes Italian food from scratch and has been in the food industry for several years. The cafe has been open for a year.
Despite the challenges of running a business, Behmani says he does it to support his family.
“That’s why I try to stay positive and hopefully more people come, support so I can stay in business.”
Inflation has impacted businesses and consumers, which is why Gainous says they’re trying to offer neighbors an affordable option.
“This service is not offered anywhere else here, we want to make sure that you are comfortable shopping here and knowing you can afford what we have here.”
