NewsWest 9
ODESSA- Once a month Jim and Susie Hines, the owners of Susies' Asian Grocery Store and Deli in Odessa, head to Houston to pickup their specialized product to bring back to the Basin, but lately the cost of gas is forcing up other costs.
"We've seen our costs and prices go up approximately 20-25 percent on everything we buy," said Hines, who says the cost of rice is up $2 dollars per 25 Ib. bag,"The prices of meat has gone up, the price of corn has gone up. So it's just tough to be in small business."
Even since the Hines' went to Houston at the beginning of the month prices have gone up.
"The price has gone up about 40 cents a gallon since we left March 1st," said Hines, "It effects everybody across the board because of electricity has gone up, our phone bills have gone up, our insurance has gone up."
Even though Hines says it's difficult to absorb the cost they don't want to entirely pass them on to the customer.
