Are prices lower in stores compared to a year ago?

Are store prices down from last year? I'll pull the latest inflation data.

No — store prices are not lower than a year ago overall , prices are still higher year-over-year, though the rate of increase has slowed.

•Overall consumer prices (CPI-U) were up year-over-year:

•+3.4% since Aug 2025

•+2.9% for the 12 months ending August 2025

•+2.4% from February 2025 to February 2026

•Food / grocery prices (food at home) were also higher than a year ago:

•Food prices increased 3.1 percent as prices for food at home rose 2.4 percent

•Food prices rose 3.0 percent over the year ended June 2026, with food at home prices rising 2.7 percent

•12-month change: Food 2.7%, Food at home 2.2%

•In August, prices for everyday household purchases are up 2.2% versus a year ago

A shopping cart tracking study also found grocery prices dipped 0.9% in October month-over-month, but remain 3.6% higher than last year.

There was a small month-to-month easing in summer:

•Prices rose just 0.1% between June and July, after falling 0.4% between May and June, and grocery prices fell 0.1% in July on a monthly basis, but that does not make the 12-month level lower than last year.

Some individual categories were lower than a year ago — for example Consumers paid lower prices for used cars and trucks (−1.9 percent) — but the aggregate store price level remains above year-ago levels.

Citations (2)

1bls.govGovernment
Latest Numbers : U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Backs: “No — store prices are not lower than a year ago overall , prices are still higher year-over-year, though the rate of increase has slowed. Overall consumer prices (CPI-U) were up year-over-year:”
2bls.govGovernment
Consumer prices up 2.4 percent over year ended February 2026 : The Economics Daily : U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Backs: “+3.4% since Aug 2025. +2.9% for the 12 months ending August 2025”