With the federal government shutdown leading to less economic data reports being shared with the public, a new savior may have emerged. Food delivery company DoorDash Inc. (NASDAQ:DASH) released a report showing price and inflation trends, and the White House is loving it.
DoorDash State of Local Commerce
DoorDash recently released its first-ever "State of Local Commerce Report." The report shares data points from throughout the United States, including how much consumers are paying at restaurants and if the costs have risen.
"New analysis of hundreds of millions of transactions on DoorDash uncovers what's actually happening in local economies," the report says.
The report includes data from thousands of communities and includes a look at grocery, restaurant and business trends.
"DoorDash can offer a ground-level view into how cities and towns across the country are changing," DoorDash Chief Analytics Officer Jessica Lachs said.
One of the most prominent data points in the report is the "Cheeseburger Index," which tracks the price of a cheeseburger, soda and side of fries across fast food, fast casual, and sit-down restaurants in the United States.
The Cheeseburger Index shows the price of these items has gone up over the last 12 months, but indicates the increase is "just 3.8%."
The price of the three items varies nationally from $10.75 to $25.55, with the national average at $18.58, up from $17.90 a year ago.
Another data point is the Breakfast Basic Index, which consists of the prices for three eggs, a glass of milk, a bagel and an avocado. This index is down 14% from March to September, mainly due to lower egg prices. Over the last year, the index prices are down around 1.7%. The Breakfast Basics Index ranges from $3.21 to $6.66 nationwide, with a national average of $4.35.
Another index called Everyday Essentials tracks the prices of shampoo, toothpaste, toilet paper, laundry detergent, pain medicine and diapers. The report found that the index price is essentially flat over the past 12 months at a national average of $55.19.
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White House Praises Report, But Is It Accurate?
The DoorDash report highlighted that the U.S. Census Bureau found total food spending up 4.9% year-over-year as of August, including a 6.3% increase in restaurant spending and a 3.0% increase in grocery spending.
The report comes after the Bureau of Labor Statistics showed headline CPI at 3% for September, which is below the 3.8% increase for the Cheeseburger Index.
After the DoorDash report was released, the White House was quick to issue a press release sharing the "lower prices" and how President Donald Trump is working to "Make America Affordable Again."
"President Donald J. Trump's bold economic agenda is delivering real results for American families – with new data from DoorDash's State of Local Commerce report confirming that inflation has been tamed, everyday prices are beginning to drop and wages are growing," the release said.
The report highlighted the Breakfast Basics Index and Everyday Essential Index, which have seen prices fall over the last year, while saying Trump "has tamed inflation."
Official White House X account Rapid Response shared a new story of the report, saying, "prices are steadying and wages are climbing, new DoorDash report shows."
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt also shared the news story with the same caption. Leavitt's X post was Community Noted with users saying it was "misleading."
"The report actually shows rising food prices. Avg price of a cheeseburger, a soda & fries increased 3.8% YoY in Sep25, while typical restaurant meals rose 3.2%,” the note read.
The Community Note on Leavitt's post could show how the data might not be as positive as the White House is making it out to be.
The cost of food at restaurants has risen, according to the report. Breakfast prices are down due to the price of eggs being down, and the everyday essentials index is nearly flat on a year-over-year basis.
The DoorDash report tracks spending only from consumers who use their services, not from those who don't use delivery for groceries or restaurant visits. This could skew the data toward consumers who are already willing to pay a little extra for the luxury of having groceries and food delivered to their homes, while consumers who are most hurt by rising prices likely weren't using DoorDash or have cut back on their DoorDash purchases.
Similar to other reports, the DoorDash report is one of many that offer a brief look at several key items and might not provide an overall guide on whether prices on everyday items are rising.
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