LAS VEGAS (KLAS) – With shoppers stocking up for Easter Weekend, they can’t help but see the noticeable change in prices. From grocery stores to even discount stores such as Dollar Tree and Five Below.

“Some items I looked at, as I was scanning, and it rang up as $5 and $6, and I’m like I thought everything was a $1.25,” local shopper Francis Schmidt said.

“We continue to see inflation impacting consumers,” Consumer Behavioral Expert at UNLV, Amanda Belarmino shared.

She added that as prices soar for necessities, it leaves very few options for affordable shopping.

“We know that Dollar Tree has just announced that their cap was going to be $7 when it used to be $5, and back in 2021, it was $1.25,” Belarmino said.

The higher-cost products include food, pet, and personal care items, although not all items will be at the $7 price cap.

“I think that it’s going to hurt their brand image,” Belarmino said.

“I think we might see people stop going to these stores because if they don’t feel like they are getting a good deal, then why go out of their way to make these purchases,” she added.

Shoppers who frequent these discount stores agree, saying it is misleading.

“It’s getting unsustainable, and I don’t know how families, single people, and elderly people are going to make it,” another shopper said. (FORGOT SHOPPERS NAME IF YOU COULD INCLUDE)

“Something’s got to give at some point, and Dollar Tree was a safety net for a lot of people,” she added.

As for those Easter Holiday items soaring in price; the cost of cocoa has hit a record high this March as well as sugar and candy have increased in price too.

According to the National Retail Federation, consumers are expected to spend $3.1 billion on candy this Easter, which is down from $3.3 billion last year in 2023.