Are prices lower in stores compared to a year ago?
Overall, prices in stores are not lower than a year ago — on average, prices are still rising, though the picture varies a lot by category.
Overall inflation:
Based on the most recent Consumer Price Index (CPI) data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the consumer price index showed annual inflation of 3.7% in September after rising 0.6% for the month, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Wednesday. This is actually an acceleration — the US annual inflation rate accelerated to 3.7% in September 2026, up from 3.4% in each of the previous two months.
Groceries specifically — a very mixed bag:
The food-at-home (grocery store or supermarket food purchases) CPI increased 0.1 percent from August 2026 to September 2026 and was 1.8 percent higher than in September 2025. So groceries overall are still pricier than a year ago, just by a smaller margin than overall inflation.
However, some specific items have gotten notably cheaper:
Meanwhile, other grocery items have gotten more expensive:
Other everyday costs:
Bottom line: No, prices in stores overall are not lower than a year ago — inflation is running at about 3.7% annually, and groceries specifically are up roughly 1.8%. However, it's not uniform: eggs, butter, bacon, and dairy have gotten cheaper, while beef, coffee, tomatoes, and apples have gotten notably more expensive, and gas prices have surged sharply due to the ongoing war involving Iran.
Citations (11)
- CPI inflation report September 2026
Source excerpt: “The consumer price index showed annual inflation of 3.7% in September after rising 0.6% for the month, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Wednesd...”
- United States Inflation Rate
Source excerpt: “The US annual inflation rate accelerated to 3.7% in September 2026, up from 3.4% in each of the previous two months and above market expectations of 3...”
- Food Price Outlook - Summary Findings | Economic Research Service
Source excerpt: “The food-at-home (grocery store or supermarket food purchases) CPI increased 0.1 percent from August 2026 to September 2026 and was 1.8 percent higher...”
- Food Price Outlook - Summary Findings | Economic Research Service
Source excerpt: “Egg prices increased 1.0 percent from August 2026 to September 2026 but were 20.6 percent lower in September 2026 than in September 2025. ”
- Food Price Outlook - Summary Findings | Economic Research Service
Source excerpt: “Retail egg prices increased 32.2 percent in 2022, 1.4 percent in 2023, 8.5 percent in 2024, and 21.9 percent in 2025. ”
- Which grocery prices are rising the fastest and which are falling? - ABC News
Source excerpt: “The cooldown in meat prices hit a range of products, including bacon, which costs 3.3% less than it did a year ago. Chicken prices fell in September, ...”
- Which grocery prices are rising the fastest and which are falling? - ABC News
Source excerpt: “Butter prices plunged 10.3% last month compared to a year earlier, while prices for ice cream, milk and cheese each fell more than 2% over that period...”
- Some Grocery Prices Are Finally Going Down — Here’s What’s Getting Cheaper - Better Report
Source excerpt: “According to the latest BLS data, the cost of tomatoes is up 12.8% year over year, while apples cost 11% more in July 2026 than they did in July 2025....”
- Some Grocery Prices Are Finally Going Down — Here’s What’s Getting Cheaper - Better Report
Source excerpt: “Beef roasts (up 13.5%), steaks (+9.6%), and ground beef (+9%) all posted increases over the past year. ”
- CPI inflation report September 2026
Source excerpt: “Over the past year, gas has posted a 34.2% rise while fuel oil has roared higher by 74.2%. ”
- Trump says inflation was 'defeated.' Some economists disagree
Source excerpt: “The average rate for a 30-year, fixed-rate mortgage is 6.21% as of Tuesday, according to Mortgage News Daily, down from over 7% in January 2025. ”