The Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond's investigation into consumer price inflation focuses on the Producer Price Index (PPI) and its trade indexes, which monitor margins in the wholesale and retail sectors. The chart spanning from 2010, with a pandemic-induced recession highlighted, demonstrates a significant increase in the PPI for trade services, indicating a departure from pre-pandemic trends. These elevated levels may be attributed to rising expenses associated with trade services, including selling, promotion, warehousing, transportation, marketing, shipping, and handling costs for wholesalers and retailers alike.