since fuel costs have been on the rise. It will take some time for the recent downturns in fuel prices to be reflected in the costs of the things they transport.

Think of any retailer buying a product from a wholesaler. There will often be 2 components of cost on the invoice. The product and the cost of shipping the product to you. Since the combined cost and the needed profits (to cover overhead and provide a return on investment) often makes the sales price a function of simple algebra, you can see how a rise in transportation costs for your retailer will affect the price he or she charges you for a product.