Road salt prices are a hot topic among city leaders. Of course, there are all sorts of reasons for civic and national leaders to call attention to road salt prices, and few of them are directly to road salt prices themselves. In any case where a local, temporary situation increases demand for road salt, raising road salt prices, with the expectation of steady road salt prices, there will naturally be some frustration.
From the for-profit perspective, there appears to be every reason to raise price according to demand. However, if demand increases the volume sold, without altering the availability of the product, there is no reason to increase prices. Homeowners and small business owners may be confused by such changes, and frustrated by a global tendency to reactively raise prices of natural resources, like road salt.
Some signs
Several YouTube and online advertisements have drawn attention to the possibility of gouging of rock salt prices in the international market. In fact, a US Senator from New York has publicly stated that price gouging must be investigated on an international scale.
While Senator Schumer may have multiple reasons for this investigation, explaining increases in civic expenditure, for example, or even blaming businesses both local and international for the city’s failure to purchase enough industrial salt, the road salt prices themselves have remained relatively consistent.
For the home consumer, road salt prices, even in rock salt as well, reflect the patterns usually seen on store shelves, which have increased alongside many other goods. This is a natural change in both markets and global economies.
Costs rising
As fuel increases in price, so do the costs of shipping and packaging goods, changing road salt prices respectively. Those who purchase salt at a home-improvement retailer are less likely to feel a hike in prices, since the salt is packaged in larger amounts, allowing consolidated shipping and packaging, and consuming fewer resources.
To combat increasing road salt prices, the home consumer is encouraged to purchase rock salt in wholesale amounts, especially if it will be used on driveways or on large properties during inclement weather.
Ending
Still, road salt prices remain the lowest among materials which are used for the same purpose. Other chemical are usually several times as expensive, although they are billed as being safer for the environment. Road salt prices are less likely to affect consumers who use the road salt effectively and responsibly. These consumers, who are not in a position to protest road salt prices from international or local business, will best take advantage of their supply with careful and responsible use.
