Answer:
The cost of inventory purchases decreased during the year.
Step-by-step explanation:
Since the value of the inventory would have been lower using FIFO than LIFO, it means that cost of goods sold actually deceased during the year.
E.g. initially goods costed $10 per unit, and then it fell to $9 per unit. If the company uses FIFO, it will value its inventory at $9 per unit, and its COGS at $10 per unit.