Consumer prices in the Anchorage area increased 4.6 percent over the past year, the biggest increase in 17 years, according to the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics.
In the past six months, local inflation increased more quickly than it has in at least 20 years.
What's factored in? Prices for transportation, food, alcoholic beverages, housing, utilities, medical care, clothing and recreation.
How are local shoppers coping?
Area retailers said they are seeing more savvy customers, who more frequently ask for price checks, hit the discount aisles and crunch the numbers to make sure they don't exceed their budget.
"Some of them bring their calculators," said Maricel Juan, a department manager at the Gottschalks store in South Anchorage.
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