美國食品生產商的報告顯示，今年以來美國的食品銷售額有所上漲，然而業內人士指出，這并不意味著美國民眾手頭寬裕了，銷售額上漲是因為食品漲價，實際上，食品銷量一直在下降。

The past few months of robust grocery store sales would suggest that shoppers aren’t stretched for cash. But that’s not the full story.

過去幾個月美國食品雜貨店強勁的銷售額是否意味著消費者的手頭不再拮據了？事實并非你所看到的那樣。

Food manufacturers like Kellogg, PepsiCo and Nestlé all reported sales growth in the first quarter of the year.

家樂氏、百事和雀巢等食品生產商今年一季度報告的產品銷售額都有所上漲。

But even though sales are up, people are buying less. Growth has been fueled by higher prices, which offset declining volumes.

然而，雖然銷售額上漲了，但人們買的卻更少了。銷售額上漲源于食品提價，更高的價格補償了銷量下降導致的差額。

"If you look at the top-line dollar sales, it is obviously very positive,” said Alastair Steel, executive, client engagement for market research firm Circana. “But it really is driven by price increases.”

市場調研機構Circana負責接洽客戶的高管阿拉斯泰爾·斯蒂爾說：“如果你看新聞報道的銷售額，顯然情況非常樂觀，但實際上銷售額上漲是因為價格提高了。”

This year through May 21, compared to the same period in 2022, sales of fresh eggs by volume fell 4.7%, milk dropped 3.9%, packaged bread fell 3.8%, and fresh root vegetables slid 3.5%, according to Circana, which tracks US retail sales. In that time, dollar sales of eggs rose by 41.2%, milk rose by 0.9%, bread jumped 8.5% and fresh root vegetables rose 10.7%.

Circana追蹤美國零售銷量的數據顯示，從今年年初到5月21日為止，鮮蛋銷量同比下降了4.7%，牛奶銷量下降了3.9%，袋裝面包銷量下降了3.8%，新鮮根莖類蔬菜銷量下降了3.5%。同一期間，鮮蛋銷售額提高了41.2%，牛奶銷售額提高了0.9%，面包銷售額提高了8.5%，新鮮根莖類蔬菜銷售額提高了10.7%。

Prices of each of these items rose during that period. Fresh eggs shot up 48.2%, milk rose 5%, bread rose 12.7% and fresh root vegetables went up 14.7%.

在此期間這些品類的價格都上漲了。鮮蛋價格上漲了48.2%，牛奶價格上漲了5%，面包價格上漲了12.7%，新鮮根莖類蔬菜上漲了14.7%。

Steel noted that early in the pandemic, when people stopped eating at restaurants and stocked up on pantry staples, unit sales soared. Since then, they’ve been coming down. Some of that can be attributed to an “unwinding” of that 2020 boom, he noted. At that time, people could also use Covid stimulus payments to cover costs. Those who were working from home didn’t have to spend money commuting.

斯蒂爾指出，在疫情初期，人們不再去餐廳吃飯，并大量囤積主食，當時單位產品銷售額大幅上漲。自那以后，食品銷售額一直在回落。斯蒂爾指出，食品銷售額下降一部分可以歸結于2020年囤糧高潮的退去。那時候，人們還可以用新冠經濟刺激補助來支付家用，而且那些居家辦公的人不用在通勤上花錢。

By volume, grocery sales are still generally up compared to 2019, he noted. But that increase isn’t so much a sign of extra cash — it’s a sign that people are trading down from restaurants to preparing food at home.

斯蒂爾指出，現在的食品銷售額相比2019年大體上還是有所增加的，但是銷售額增加并不意味著人們手頭寬裕了，而是意味著人們為了節省開支不去餐廳吃飯而改成在家做飯。

Dining in isn’t the only way that people are saving. Some Americans are trading down by going for cheaper items, or shopping at bargain stores.

在家吃飯不是人們省錢的唯一方式。有些美國人為了省錢而購買更便宜的商品，或去特價商店購物。

In the year through April, food prices went up by 7.7%, with grocery prices rising 7.1% and menu prices increasing 8.6%, according to the latest data from the BLS’ Consumer Price Index. Prices overall rose 4.9% throughout the year.

美國勞工統計局的消費者價格指數顯示，今年年初到4月為止的這段時間，美國食品價格上漲了7.7%，菜價上漲了7.1%，菜單定價上漲了8.6%。全年食品價格總體上漲4.9%。

"I don’t believe that price is going to come down,” said Steel. “The rate of increase is starting to slow down and stop. But it’s not completely gone away. We are still seeing prices, month over month, they’re still going up — although much less than they were.”

斯蒂爾說：“我認為食品價格降不下來。食品價格上漲速度開始放緩，但并沒有停止上漲。我們看到，食品價格仍然一個月比一個月高，不過遠遠沒有之前漲得那么兇了。”

英文來源：美國有線電視新聞網

翻譯&編輯：丹妮