The continuing rise of the price of ordinary Hellman’s mayonnaise is making my blood pressure rise!!! Recently a mainstream supermarket in my area advertised a 30oz jar selling for over 5 BUCKS!!! Kraft Mayo and Heinz Mayo are not cheap, either.
What’s going on? The product is mostly eggs and food oil, and we produce hundreds of millions of eggs in this country, which are inexpensive. And soybean oil is relatively cheap. So why the highway robbery?
Just checked online at my preferred grocer (they have a shop online and pick up service at their brick and mortar stores). Their charge for 30 oz is $3.89. They also have bonus 36 oz size for the same $3.89. Store brand is $2.69. No idea how it tastes. Amazon has the 30 oz as an add-on item for a little more, $3.98. I do think food costs are relatively reasonable in my geographic location. We have a fair amount of competition. When I’ve done extended travel in other parts of the country that involved grocery shopping and cooking, I was surprised about regional differences in food costs. The Pacific Northwest, for example, seemed pricey to me. What part of the country are you in? I know there is a Lake Washington out there.
I have read articles on egg prices increasing. Eggs made this recent list:
http://www.mashed.com/86851/real-reason-costs-foods-skyrocketing/
A lot cheaper at Costco.
Eggs likely made the list because egg prices have been depressed for so long and just lately have been on the rise. I eat at least 2 eggs a day, so I am interested in that subject. 
When mayo above $2 a jar after we first got married, I decided I should make it myself - make what I need in 2-3 minutes, and it tastes waay better.
And the calories burned making it yourself can help reduce your blood pressure , or at least take some of the guilt away from a BLT…
I don’t think they’re pricing it just off of the price of ingredients, but rather the value to the sandwich!
No mayo on my sandwiches. Just good mustard.
Kid lived for 2 years in a country obsessed with mayo and cream cheese. It was in everything!
@3puppies, you must make it by whisking by hand. When I’ve made it from scratch, I’ve used a food processor or blender which unfortunately doesn’t burn many calories at all.
Definitely make it whisking by hand - makes me appreciate the sandwich more. When DS was home visiting last, he told me how much he missed the “lunch love” since it tastes better than the jarred stuff he buys.
Yes, Seattle grocery prices entered the stratosphere ever since Jeff Bezos and the rest of the nation “discovered” the Pacific Northwest, and the prices have been rising ever since. And you can’t find Nalley’s brand mayo in the PNW anymore. What great stuff that was.
Mayo is my favorite condiment. Here, a 48 ounce jar of Wegman’s mayonnaise (my favorite) is $3.39, and a 48 ounce jar of Hellmann’s is $5.09.
Zoosermom, Morton Williams is the culprit supermarket in NYC. Hellman’s is discounted there occasionally, but their regular price for a 30oz jar will make you weak in the knees.
And…I just ran out. Guess I need to get some more…will be checking for bargain Mayo this week…well…only Helemans Lite. It’s all we use.
@LakeWashington Might be time to start look at Amazon for price comparisons on shelf stable goods.
@LakeWashington you’re from around here-go to the Grocery Outlet! The one in my area has several different brands of mayo at any given time, and I don’t think any are $5 for a 30 oz. jar. While what they have available on any given week changes, they carry a lot of local brands and organics, and the staples are always there . I buy as much of my groceries as I can there; I’m also a little sad when I have to go to a regular grocery store-everything is always more expensive.
I buy the 64-ounce Hellman’s jar whenever Costco has them on sale. I buy three or four at a time (DH loves his mayo --). They’re around $5 per jar when they’re on sale.
It’s probably the store trying to make a better margin on a product that sells well despite having many competitors–Hellman’s is easily recognizable for most people.
Also, remember that margins at these stores will be razor-thin. Walmart lists the 60oz bottle at $4 and they’re the cost leader–they’ll make about 12 cents for selling one bottle. Then again, they’ll sell thousands per day whereas your mainstream supermarket will only move a few pallets per quarter, so they need a higher margin to account for the slower product turn-over. They most likely have to buy it at a higher wholesale cost from Unilever so they need to account for that in the price too.
Costco has been mentioned a few times here: they have lower overhead cost and reap most of their margins through membership fees.
In short, switch over to a cost-leader if the price is bothering you.
“It’s probably the store trying to make a better margin on a product that sells well despite having many competitors–Hellman’s is easily recognizable for most people.”
I bet you’re right. At the grocery chain I shop at, the Hellman’s is always on the very bottom shelf in the condiments/salad dressing aisle which to me means it’s selling no matter where it is placed even if out of easy line of sight. If they haven’t restocked lately, you’re bending down and reaching way under to grab a jar. I’m sure like my family, Hellman’s is the only mayo coming into the house.
I am probably in the minority, but I don’t like Hellman’s. I like Sir Kennsington Mayonnaise. Sir Kennsington is a brand created by two Brown grads. There’s a ketchup too. My daughter (who lives in Chapel Hill) turned me on to Duke’s Mayonnaise, which I liked, but I can’t get it in New England. She brings me a jar when she comes home. I also make my own mayonnaise, which is probably better than all the store bought stuff.
I confess. I’m about to go on vacation and didn’t want to waste a whole jar 'cause I don’t want to travel home with a cooler, but plan to eat a sandwich or two at the rental cottage. So I snitched a few packets of Hellman’s from the hospital where I volunteer.