Dollar Tree Is Pausing the Sale of This Grocery Essential—Here’s Why

The dramatic increase in egg prices has been all over the news in the last couple of months. The avian flu, supply chain challenges, and higher input costs are to blame. A dozen eggs today will set you back nearly $4.20 on average, about 110% more expensive than a year ago. That's bad news for consumers considering that eggs are a grocery staple—Americans consume about 278 eggs per year on average.

Due to the rising price of eggs, Reuters reported earlier this week that discount store Dollar Tree is going to pause the sale of eggs until the fall. Dollar Tree often discontinues or pauses sales of certain items if higher costs make it impossible to keep prices under a certain dollar amount. Thrifty shoppers turn to discount stores like Dollar Tree for great deals on houseware and groceries, like eggs. The baseline price of most but not all products is $1.25—recently increased from $1 to offset higher costs.

This news comes amid an announcement earlier this month that Dollar Tree will be expanding their refrigerated and frozen grocery options. The assortments will be priced at $3, $4, and $5, targeting budget-conscious shoppers. The company plans to add eggs back into their fridges in the fall if the price drops.

Although the price of eggs dipped a little in February to $4.21 from $4.82 in January according to federal data, economists expect the price to jump back up as demand for eggs increases as we head into Easter. Expect prices to remain high in the short term.

How You Can Deal With Rising Egg Prices

Since economists don't expect the price of eggs to go down in the foreseeable future, here are shopping and cooking strategies that can help you:

• Make an eggless breakfast: You may make yourself the perfect fried egg for breakfast every morning, but did you know that there are plenty of delicious eggless breakfast options? Think tofu scramble with spinach, creamy oatmeal chia cups, and the most satisfying biscuits and gravy.
• Decode egg carton labels: Are organic, cage-free, or pasture-raised eggs worth paying up for? Learn how to decipher egg carton labels—some are worth paying up for, most aren't. Stop paying extra for labels that don't matter.
• Try the best egg substitute for baking: According to cookbook author Megan Gordon, "The number one trick for replacing eggs in a baking recipe—but keeping many of the important properties that eggs contribute—is using a flax egg." Here's how to make flax eggs at home.