DEMAND FOR GROCERY DELIVERY COOLS AS FOOD COSTS RISE

Karen Raschke, a retired attorney in New York, started getting her groceries delivered early in the pandemic. Each delivery cost $30 in fees and tips, but it was worth it to avoid the store.

Then earlier this spring, Raschke learned her rent was increasing by $617 per month. Delivery was one of the first things she cut from her budget. Now, the 75-year-old walks four blocks to the grocery several times a week. She only uses delivery on rare occasions, like a recent heat wave.

“To do it every week is not sustainable,” she said.

Raschke isn’t alone. U.S. demand for grocery