Are prices lower in stores compared to a year ago?

Short answer: mostly no. On average, prices are still higher than a year ago.

•Overall consumer prices were up 3.4% year over year in August 2026 (latest data as of the September 11 release).[1]

•Grocery store prices (“food at home”) were up 2.2% versus August 2025.[1]

•Store-bought goods excluding food and energy (a proxy for many retail items) were up 0.7% year over year.[1]

•Some individual categories did fall; for example, dairy and related products were down 0.3% from a year earlier.[1]

If you have a specific type of store or items in mind, tell me and I can pull the latest figures for that category.

Citations (1)

1bls.govGovernment
Consumer Price Index News Release - 2026 M08 Results
Backs: “Overall consumer prices were up 3.4% year over year in August 2026 (latest data as of the September 11 release).”