Inventories

12 Months Ended

Dec. 28, 2024

Inventories

Inventories

Note 3    Inventories

Inventories, as of December 28, 2024 and December 30, 2023, were valued as follows:

(amounts in thousands)	2024		2023
LIFO	$	198,029	$	201,683
Average cost		110,865		94,474
Total	$	308,895	$	296,157

Management believes the use of the LIFO method for valuing certain inventories represents the most appropriate matching of costs and revenues in the Company’s circumstances. If all inventories were valued on the average cost method, which approximates current cost, total inventories would have been $110.9 million and $110.3 million higher than as reported on the above methods as of December 28, 2024, and December 30, 2023, respectively.