The managing director of a retail consultant firm said the soaring inflation crisis is one of the “worst” in modern history because it escalated quickly. Strategic Resource Group managing director Burt Flickinger told Fox Business on Thursday that the current inflation crisis “was not a crisis 12 months ago.” “This is the biggest emerging economic crisis for consumers for over a decade,” Flickinger said. “The average cost of living for a family of four is up about $5,000 a year so now it’s a choice between heating homes, feeding families, or giving gifts.” Flickinger added that now, “you can’t do all three” due to “the massive amount of out-of-stocks,” which are “the highest in over 70 years.” The consumer price index jumped 0.9 percent last month after climbing 0.4 percent in September, the Labor Department said earlier this week. The largest gain in four months hoisted the annual increase in the …