Are prices lower in stores compared to a year ago?

Prices - I'll check if store prices have fallen since last year.

No — on average, prices in stores are not lower than a year ago. Inflation has slowed (disinflation), but the price level is still higher year-over-year.

•Overall US consumer prices (CPI for All Urban Consumers):

•rose 3.7% over the 12 months ending September 2026, and 0.6% from the prior month

•reported Oct 14, 2026 as: CPI rose 0.6% for the month and 3.7% from a year earlier

•also: The September 2026 Consumer Price Index printed 3.7% year over year on October 14, 2026 (prior 3.4%)

•September CPI rose 3.7% year over year, above the 3.6% rate expected

•Prices overall were 3.4% higher in August 2026 than a year earlier

That is disinflation, not deflation:

> If annual inflation moves from 8% down to 3%, the economy is experiencing disinflation. Prices are still higher than they were last year, but they are climbing at a much gentler pace.
> If inflation drops below zero percent to -2%, the economy enters deflation. In this environment, the average price tag on goods and services is lower than it was a year ago.

Real deflation across whole economy is rare - last time was July 2009, CPI was 2.1% lower than a year earlier.

•Grocery / store food prices specifically:

•US grocery inflation (food-at-home) fell to 1.8% in September 2026, from 2.2% in August, as food-at-home prices declined 0.1% during the month

•Food at home: −0.1% monthly, +1.8% annually

•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 fell 0.1% ... That left them 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.

It does not mean nothing got cheaper — prices vary by aisle/category:

•Cheaper than a year ago: Used cars and trucks were 2.3% cheaper, furniture and bedding 0.8% cheaper, televisions 1.0% cheaper and smartphones 12.2% cheaper

•In detail: Furniture and bedding | -0.8%, Televisions | -1.0%, Used cars and trucks | -2.3%, Smartphones | -12.2%

•In groceries: Dairy: −0.9% monthly, −0.7% annually; milk −2.0% monthly, Dairy ... was 0.7% cheaper than a year earlier, Eggs | -23.0% |

But categories like gasoline (+27.4%), energy overall (+16.3%), apparel (+3.6%), food (+2.7%) were up, so the average shopping basket costs more than in fall 2025.

Citations (2)

1dealsdmv.comLow provenance
Prices in 2026: What's Cheaper Than a Year Ago, and What Isn't
Backs: “September CPI rose 3.7% year over year, above the 3.6% rate expected. Prices overall were 3.4% higher in August 2026 than a year earlier”
2grocerytradenews.comNews and media
US Grocery Inflation September 2026: Down to 1.8%
Backs: “Real deflation across whole economy is rare - last time was July 2009, CPI was 2.1% lower than a year earlier. Grocery / store food prices specifically: US grocery inflation (food-at-home) fell to 1.8% in September 2026, from 2.2% in August, as food-at-home prices declined 0.1% during the month”