Are prices lower in stores compared to a year ago?
No, overall prices in U.S. stores are not lower than a year ago—they are moderately higher—though the pace of increases has slowed substantially from the high-inflation years of 2021–2023, some specific items or categories have declined or stabilized, and retailers have increased discounts and promotions.[1]
Official Inflation Data (CPI)
According to the latest U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Consumer Price Index (CPI) data for August 2026:
Earlier periods show a similar pattern of moderated but positive inflation: all-items CPI rose about 2.9% Dec 2023–Dec 2024 and 2.7% Dec 2024–Dec 2025. Food-at-home inflation has generally been in the low single digits (e.g., ~1.8–2.4% in recent full years).[2]
Energy prices have been volatile and contributed significantly to recent readings (e.g., gasoline up sharply over some 12-month periods), but store-shelf goods (especially non-energy, non-food commodities) have seen much milder pressure.
Store-Level and Retail Observations
Bottom Line and Context
Prices have not broadly fallen back to levels from a year ago (or earlier post-pandemic peaks). The cumulative rise since ~2019/2020 remains substantial (often 20%+ for many baskets), which is why many shoppers still feel sticker shock even as year-over-year rates cool. However, 2024–mid-2026 has featured much slower inflation than the prior surge, more price stability or cuts on individual SKUs, heavier discounting by retailers, and relative deflation or softness in goods vs. services/shelter/energy in some periods.[6]
Experiences vary by location, store (e.g., discounters like Aldi/Lidl vs. others), shopping habits (private label, sales, bulk), and the specific basket. Official CPI aggregates thousands of prices nationwide and is the broadest measure; store-level checks like NPR’s highlight real-world variation and promotions. For the most current figures, check the latest BLS CPI release.
Citations (6)
- https://www.bls.gov/news.release/cpi.nr0.htm
Backs: “No, overall prices in U.S. stores are not lower than a year ago—they are moderately higher—though the pace of increases has slowed substantially from the high-inflation years of 2021–2023, some specific items or categories have declined or stabilized, and retailers have increased discounts and promotions.”
- https://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2025/consumer-price-index-2024-in-review.htm
Backs: “Food-at-home inflation has generally been in the low single digits (e.g., ~1.8–2.4% in recent full years).”
- https://text.npr.org/nx-s1-5241014
Backs: “Eggs fell substantially (~30% in that check after earlier avian flu spikes), along with some dairy items and select packaged goods; many packaged foods stabilized after prior years of hikes. Walmart increased rollbacks/discounts.”
- https://www.retailbrew.com/stories/2024/12/18/2024-was-the-year-of-discounts-price-cuts-and-more-affordable-assortments
Backs: “Everyday household goods (per trackers like Numerator) were recently up ~2.2% YoY but with some recent month-over-month declines.”
- https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-25-107451
Backs: “Shrinkflation (smaller packages at similar prices) has occurred in some cases but is a smaller overall contributor to measured inflation.”
- https://www.investopedia.com/shoppers-could-be-seeing-lower-prices-this-holiday-season-8729096
Backs: “However, 2024–mid-2026 has featured much slower inflation than the prior surge, more price stability or cuts on individual SKUs, heavier discounting by retailers, and relative deflation or softness in goods vs. services/shelter/energy in some periods.”