Responses

Overall, no — prices in stores are generally still higher than a year ago in most places, though a few specific items have gotten cheaper. In the U.S.: Overall inflation hasn't reversed — it's actually picked up recently. The all items index rose 3.7 percent for the 12 months ending September, a larger increase than the 3.4-percent increase reported for the 12 months ending in August. The food in

Broadly speaking, no, overall prices in stores are not lower than they were a year ago. While the rapid rate of price increases (inflation) has moderated from its pandemic-era peaks, overall prices are still climbing. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose 3.7% over the 12 months ending in autumn 2026. However, whether you are paying more or

Checking if store prices have actually fallen from a year ago — pulling the latest inflation and grocery data. No - on average, prices in stores are still higher than a year ago, not lower. Inflation has slowed, but prices have not fallen. Overall consumer prices: The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose 3.7% year-over-year in September 2026, up from 3.4%

Short answer: No. Overall, prices in U.S. stores are higher than a year ago. - Latest overall inflation: Consumer prices were up 3.7% in September 2026 versus September 2025 (the most recent data available as of November 8, 2026). The October report is due November 10. ([bls.gov](https://www.bls.gov/news.release/archives/cpi10142026.htm)) - Groceries (food at home): Up about 1.8% year over year i

No, prices in stores are generally not lower than a year ago—they are modestly higher on average, though the picture varies by category, item, retailer, and location, with some relief on specific goods and at discounters.[[1]](https://chart.ly/inflation-report/september-2026) Overall Consumer Prices (US) As of the latest detailed data (September 2026 CPI from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics):

Short answer: No — overall, prices are still higher than a year ago, though some specific items have gotten cheaper. Overall inflation: Prices across the economy are notably higher than last year. The annual inflation rate in the United States was 3.7% for the 12 months ending September, up from 3.4% in August, according to U.S. Labor Department data released October 14, 2026. This was driven la

No, overall prices in stores are not lower compared to a year ago. While the rapid, double-digit spikes in inflation seen in previous years have moderated, prices for the vast majority of retail and grocery items continue to rise, making them more expensive on average than they were in late 2025. A breakdown of the data reveals how prices in different categories compare to last year: 1. Overal

Prices vs. a year ago — I'll pull the latest inflation data to check. No — on average, prices in stores are higher than a year ago, not lower. Overall consumer prices: The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers rose 3.7% over the 12 months ending September 2026, and 0.6% from the prior month. That was up from 3.4% in August, indicating inflation accelerated, not declined. For grocery st

Short answer: generally no. Using the latest available data, as of September 2026 U.S. consumer prices were 3.7% higher than in September 2025. Grocery-store prices (“food at home”) were 1.8% higher year over year; dining out was up 3.5%. Some specific categories fell (e.g., dairy −0.7% and used cars −1.5% year over year), but many others rose, including gasoline (+34% year over year). These figu

[[1]](https://www.bls.gov/news.release/charts/cpi-cpirc1cpibycat.stm)No, prices in stores are generally not lower compared to a year ago (as of the latest available data around September–November 2026), though the picture is mixed by category, with overall inflation still positive but much cooler than the post-pandemic peaks, and some specific items or retailer promotions showing declines.[[1]](ht

Short answer: No, prices overall are still higher than a year ago — but a few specific items have gotten cheaper. The big picture Overall inflation has not reversed — prices are still rising, just more slowly than during the 2021-2022 spike. The all-items Consumer Price Index, a measure of economy-wide inflation, increased 0.6 percent from August 2026 to September 2026 and was up 3.7 percent fr

In general, no, overall prices in stores are not lower compared to a year ago. While some specific products and categories have seen price drops, overall retail and consumer prices have continued to rise over the past year. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Consumer Price Index (CPI) and the USDA, the cost of goods remains elevated, though the pace of price increases (inflat

Are prices actually cheaper than last year? I'll check the latest inflation data to see what's happening. No — on average, prices in stores are higher than a year ago, not lower. The overall price level is still rising year-over-year: Headline prices rose 3.7% from a year ago in September 2026 The Consumer Price Index rose 0.6% for the month and 3.7% from a year earlier The annual inf

Short answer: generally no. On average, prices are higher than a year ago. - Overall consumer prices were up about 3.7% year over year in September 2026 (latest available; released October 14, 2026). ([bls.gov](https://www.bls.gov/news.release/archives/cpi10142026.htm)) - Grocery prices (“food at home”) were up 1.8% versus September 2025; restaurant prices (“food away from home”) were up 3.5%. ([

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]](https://www.bls.gov/news.release/charts/cpi-cpirc1cpibycat.stm) Late

No — overall, prices in stores are not lower than a year ago. Prices are still rising, just at a somewhat more moderate pace for some categories, and a few specific items have actually gotten cheaper. Overall inflation: The annual inflation rate in the United States was 3.7% for the 12 months ending September, up from 3.4% in August, according to U.S. Labor Department data released October 14, 20

Broadly speaking, no, overall prices in stores are not lower than they were a year ago. While the rate of inflation has slowed down significantly compared to the record peaks of a few years ago, prices are still rising. In economics, this is known as disinflation (prices rising at a slower pace) rather than deflation (prices actually falling). The price landscape compared to late 2025 illustra

Prices a year ago versus today — I'll pull the latest inflation and grocery trends for you. No, overall prices in stores are not lower than a year ago — they are higher, although some specific items are cheaper. Overall prices: Prices overall were 3.4% higher in August 2026 than a year earlier, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Headline inflation: prices rose 0.6% in Septemb

Short answer: generally no. As of the latest CPI report (September 2026, released October 14), overall consumer prices were about 3.7% higher than a year earlier, not lower. ([bls.gov](https://www.bls.gov/news.release/archives/cpi10142026.htm?trk=article-ssr-frontend-pulselittle-text-block&utmsource=openai)) If you mean “store-shelf” goods rather than services: - Core goods (commodities excludin

No, overall prices in stores are generally not lower than a year ago—they are modestly higher on average—though the picture is mixed by category and item, inflation has cooled significantly from recent peaks, and many retailers have cut prices on thousands of products amid competition and softer demand.[[1]](https://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2025/consumer-price-index-2024-in-review.htm) Overall Infla

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 Wed

On average, overall prices in stores are not lower than they were a year ago. Most items in retail and grocery stores continue to cost more than they did last year, though the rate at which prices are climbing has slowed down significantly (a trend economists call disinflation). According to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) and the USDA, the overall Consumer Price Index (CPI) r

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 ro

Short answer: mostly no. Latest nationwide data show that overall consumer prices in the U.S. were about 3.7% higher in September 2026 than in September 2025. Grocery-store (“food at home”) prices were up 1.8% year over year, while restaurant prices were up 3.5%. October figures aren’t out until November 10, 2026. ([bls.gov](https://www.bls.gov/news.release/archives/cpi10142026.htm?trk=article-ss

No, overall prices in stores are generally not lower than a year ago, though the picture is mixed by category, with mild increases on average for many goods, some declines, widespread retailer price cuts/promotions, and variation by item and location.[[1]](https://www.bls.gov/news.release/cpi.t01.htm) As of the latest available U.S. data (September 2026 Consumer Price Index from the Bureau of Lab

Overall, no — prices in stores are generally higher than a year ago, though the picture is mixed depending on the specific item. Overall inflation is up As of the latest U.S. data (September 2026), the annual inflation rate in the United States was 3.7% for the 12 months ending September, up from 3.4% in August. This acceleration was largely driven by energy: gasoline prices soared 9.1%, accounti

In general, overall prices in stores are not lower than they were a year ago. Instead, the retail and grocery landscape is defined by a trend of “slower, not lower” price increases. While inflation has cooled significantly from its peak years, consumer prices continue to rise—just at a more moderate pace. However, because major retailers are aggressively competing for price-sensitive shoppers, t

Prices versus a year ago — I'll check the latest inflation and store price trends. No, overall prices in stores are not lower than a year ago - they are still higher year-over-year, though the rate of increase has slowed and a few specific items are cheaper. Overall inflation: The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers was 3.7% higher than a year earlier in September 2026 Food overall w

Short answer: No—on average, prices in US stores are higher than a year ago. - Overall consumer prices were up 3.7% in September 2026 versus September 2025 (latest data available today, November 3, 2026). ([bls.gov](https://www.bls.gov/news.release/archives/cpi10142026.htm)) - Groceries (food at home) rose 1.8% year over year; restaurant prices (food away from home) rose 3.5%. Within groceries, d

No, prices in stores are generally not lower than a year ago—they are modestly higher on average—though the picture is mixed by category, item, and retailer, with significant cooling in inflation and outright declines for many specific products.[[1]](https://www.bls.gov/news.release/charts/cpi-cpirc1cpibycat.stm) Overall Trends (Primarily U.S. Data) - Headline Consumer Price Index (CPI): Prices