CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Prices on some consumer goods are expected to increase in 2012.
According to Steve Biggs of Biggs Camera in Charlotte, cheaper digital cameras that are made in countries like China should stay relatively low. However, higher end SLR cameras are expected to go up in price because of Japan’s economy.
“As the price of the Dollar has dropped with the Yen, manufacturers do something to bring money back to their country. The return on the Dollar has decreased 20 percent, so they’ll need to...over the next few months, bring that price up,” said Biggs.
Over at the Park Road Shopping Center, Bruce Ridgeway of H20 Oasis Waters tells NewsChannel 36 the price of bottled water may increase, but not because of the water itself.
“The potential cost increase comes from packaging costs, (like) the bottles or the cardboard boxes. (Packaging) is a big, big part of what we do. Plastic is petroleum based,” explained Ridgeway.
Other price increases are expected for Starbucks coffee. The company announced earlier this week it’s increasing menu prices 1 percent in some markets.
Mobile device data plans are also expected to go up as wireless carriers expand their 4G service.
