Are prices lower in stores compared to a year ago?
No, overall prices in stores are generally not lower than a year ago—they are modestly higher on average—though the rate of increase has slowed substantially from the high-inflation period of 2021–2023, some specific items and categories are cheaper or flat, and retailers continue heavy promotions and selective price cuts.[1]
Latest U.S. Data (primarily September 2026 CPI from BLS)
Specific grocery staples (BLS average city prices, Sept 2026 vs. a year earlier) show a mixed picture: eggs sharply lower (~–35%, recovering from prior avian flu spikes), milk/bread/bananas/butter/flour/sugar/potatoes somewhat lower or flat-to-down, while ground beef, coffee, rice, pasta, and some others higher.[4]
Cumulative prices remain well above pre-pandemic levels (food at home roughly +30%+ since early 2020), so the “ baselining” effect means many shoppers still feel elevated costs even with slower recent inflation.[5]
Retailer Actions and Other Trends
In 2024, major retailers (Walmart, Target, Aldi, etc.) implemented thousands of price cuts/rollbacks on essentials and discretionary items amid cooling goods inflation and consumer pushback, contributing to periods of goods deflation or near-zero change in baskets.[6][7] NPR’s tracked Walmart basket rose only ~0.7% over 2024, with half the items unchanged and some cheaper.[8]
More recently (into 2026), food makers and chains have continued selective cuts or promotions to drive volume as shoppers trade down or seek value. Discounters (e.g., Aldi/Lidl in the UK context, with parallels in the US) report a large share of items cheaper or unchanged vs. a year prior, even if broader grocery inflation is positive (~2–2.5% in some measures).[9] Non-food categories like certain apparel, furniture, or used cars have seen deflation or weakness at times.
Caveats and Context
In short, while you may find lower prices on particular items, deal-heavy shopping, or at value retailers compared to a year ago, the broad data shows store/grocery/goods prices are slightly higher on average amid low-single-digit inflation. Check current local prices, unit costs, and sales for the best deals, as competition remains strong. Data can shift with new monthly CPI releases (next around mid-month).
Citations (10)
- https://www.bls.gov/news.release/charts/cpi-cpi_rc_1cpibycat.stm
Backs: “No, overall prices in stores are generally not lower than a year ago—they are modestly higher on average—though the rate of increase has slowed substantially from the high-inflation period of 2021–2023, some specific items and categories are cheaper or flat, and retailers continue heavy promotions and selective price…”
- https://nowflation.com/series/CUSR0000SAF11
Backs: “Month-to-month, food at home was roughly flat to slightly down in some recent months.”
- https://www.bls.gov/news.release/cpi.t01.htm
Backs: “Core goods (commodities less food and energy—covering many non-food store items like apparel, household furnishings, new vehicles, etc.): +0.7% YoY.”
- https://www.preparedstates.com/grocery-prices
Backs: “Specific grocery staples (BLS average city prices, Sept 2026 vs. a year earlier) show a mixed picture: eggs sharply lower (~–35%, recovering from prior avian flu spikes), milk/bread/bananas/butter/flour/sugar/potatoes somewhat lower or flat-to-down, while ground beef, coffee, rice, pasta, and some others higher.”
- https://americandefault.org/statistics/grocery-price-increase-since-2020/
Backs: “Cumulative prices remain well above pre-pandemic levels (food at home roughly +30%+ since early 2020), so the “ baselining” effect means many shoppers still feel elevated costs even with slower recent inflation.”
- https://www.retailbrew.com/stories/2024/12/18/2024-was-the-year-of-discounts-price-cuts-and-more-affordable-assortments
Backs: “In 2024, major retailers (Walmart, Target, Aldi, etc.) implemented thousands of price cuts/rollbacks on essentials and discretionary items amid cooling goods inflation and consumer pushback, contributing to periods of goods deflation or near-zero change in baskets.”
- https://www.investopedia.com/shoppers-could-be-seeing-lower-prices-this-holiday-season-8729096
Backs: “In 2024, major retailers (Walmart, Target, Aldi, etc.) implemented thousands of price cuts/rollbacks on essentials and discretionary items amid cooling goods inflation and consumer pushback, contributing to periods of goods deflation or near-zero change in baskets.”
- https://www.npr.org/transcripts/nx-s1-5241014
Backs: “In 2024, major retailers (Walmart, Target, Aldi, etc.) implemented thousands of price cuts/rollbacks on essentials and discretionary items amid cooling goods inflation and consumer pushback, contributing to periods of goods deflation or near-zero change in baskets.NPR’s tracked Walmart basket rose only ~0.7% over…”
- https://grocerytrader.co.uk/more-than-a-third-of-aldi-products-now-cheaper-than-a-year-ago/
Backs: “Discounters (e.g., Aldi/Lidl in the UK context, with parallels in the US) report a large share of items cheaper or unchanged vs. a year prior, even if broader grocery inflation is positive (~2–2.5% in some measures).”
- https://money.com/will-prices-ever-go-down/
Backs: “Economists note prices typically stabilize or rise more slowly rather than reverse meaningfully without major economic stress.”