Prices versus a year ago? I'll check the latest inflation data to see if store prices have dropped.
No - in general, prices in stores are still higher than a year ago, even though the rate of increase has slowed.
•Overall US consumer prices were 3.7% higher in September than a year earlier. The Consumer Price Index rose 0.6% in September on a seasonally adjusted basis and 3.7% from a year earlier.
•Grocery / food-at-home prices specifically:
•Overall, grocery prices dropped 0.1% on a seasonally adjusted basis last month, leaving them 1.8% higher than a year earlier
•Food-at-home prices are up 1.8 percent from a year ago
•Grocery prices slipped 0.1% in September and were 1.8% higher than a year earlier
A lower annual inflation rate is not the same as cheaper groceries than a year ago. Average food-at-home prices remained 1.8% above September 2025 despite the monthly decline. Similarly:
•US grocery inflation fell to 1.8% in September 2026, from 2.2% in August, as food-at-home prices declined 0.1% during the month
•In September 2026 grocery prices were 1.8% higher than twelve months earlier, but overall US consumer inflation was 3.7%
This is disinflation (prices rise more slowly) not deflation (prices fall).
Some individual categories are cheaper year-over-year on a monthly basis, but the overall store index is still up:
•Food-at-home prices were unchanged in August but were 2.2% higher than a year ago
•Canada's food purchased from stores was about 0.4% cheaper in August than in July, and 2.8% more expensive than in August 2025
•Germany inflation is expected to be +2.8% on the same month a year earlier
Exceptions: Certain items did fall year-over-year - for example eggs -23.0% and dairy and related product prices were 0.3% lower than a year ago- but the average basket remains more expensive than 12 months ago.