Are prices lower in stores compared to a year ago?

No, prices in stores are generally not lower compared to a year ago—they are higher on average, though the pace of increases has slowed substantially from the high inflation of 2021–2023, and many individual items or categories have stayed flat, fallen, or seen heavy discounts.[1]

Official Inflation Data (U.S. CPI from BLS)

•Overall CPI: Up about 2.7–2.9% for full years like 2024 and 2025 (Dec-to-Dec). As of August 2026, it was +3.4% year-over-year.[2]

•Food at home (groceries): Typically +1.8–2.5% in recent full years; +2.2% YoY as of August 2026. Food away from home (restaurants) has run higher, around +3–4%.[3]

•Core goods (commodities less food and energy): Often near flat or modestly up (e.g., +0.7% in one recent reading). Used cars/trucks have declined (e.g., –2.3% or more in periods), while apparel and other categories vary. Energy (especially gasoline) is volatile and has spiked in some recent periods.[4]

•Everyday household goods trackers (e.g., Numerator) have shown similar modest YoY rises (around +2.2% in one August 2026 reading), sometimes with slight month-to-month declines.[5]

Cumulative prices remain well above pre-pandemic levels (often 20–30%+ higher for many baskets since 2019–2020).

Store-Level and Retail Observations

Retailers have actively cut prices or run promotions on thousands of items to combat softer demand:

•In 2024 especially, chains like Target (thousands of cuts on essentials and discretionary items), Walmart (thousands of “rollbacks”), and others emphasized discounts and more affordable assortments. Goods prices showed some deflationary pressure at times.[6]

•NPR’s ongoing Walmart shopping cart (tracking dozens to 100+ items at one store):

•Over 2024: Average prices up just ~0.7%. About half the items unchanged, ~21 cheaper (e.g., bananas, salmon, some meats), and ~27 more expensive (e.g., eggs, ground beef at times).[7]

•Over 2025: Average up ~5%. Nearly half more expensive (influenced by weather/droughts on items like coffee/beef/cocoa, and some tariff effects on imports); about a quarter cheaper (notable relief on eggs after bird flu, plus some dairy and packaged goods).[8]

•Other trackers and reports note selective cuts (e.g., on ground beef, produce, snacks, or private-label items) even as overall baskets rise modestly. Some electronics, certain packaged foods, and durables have seen declines or stability due to supply chain improvements and competition. Shrinkflation (smaller packages at similar prices) has occurred in spots but is a smaller factor overall.[9]

Bottom Line and Caveats

•Average store prices (especially a full grocery or household basket) are higher than a year earlier, driven by food, shelter-related costs feeding into broader inflation, and category-specific pressures (e.g., meats, some produce, or energy-sensitive items).

•Relief exists: Many items are stable or cheaper, promotions are widespread, and goods inflation is much milder than services. Shoppers who trade down to store brands, buy on sale, or switch retailers often mitigate the impact.

•Results vary by location, store (discounters like Aldi/Lidl or Walmart often fare better), exact basket, and timing (energy and eggs are particularly volatile). International or non-U.S. experiences differ.

For the most current view, check the latest BLS CPI release (monthly) or retailer apps for local prices/promotions. Prices have stabilized relative to the post-pandemic surge but have not broadly reversed.

Citations (9)

1bls.govGovernment
https://www.bls.gov/cpi/
Backs: “No, prices in stores are generally not lower compared to a year ago—they are higher on average, though the pace of increases has slowed substantially from the high inflation of 2021–2023, and many individual items or categories have stayed flat, fallen, or seen heavy discounts.”
2bls.govGovernment
https://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2025/consumer-price-index-2024-in-review.htm
Backs: “Up about 2.7–2.9% for full years like 2024 and 2025 (Dec-to-Dec). As of August 2026, it was +3.4% year-over-year.”
3bls.govGovernment
https://www.bls.gov/news.release/cpi.t01.htm
Backs: “Food away from home (restaurants) has run higher, around +3–4%.”
4bls.govGovernment
https://www.bls.gov/news.release/charts/cpi-cpi_rc_1cpibycat.stm
Backs: “Energy (especially gasoline) is volatile and has spiked in some recent periods.”
5supermarketnews.comNews and media
https://www.supermarketnews.com/grocery-trends-data/price-of-everyday-goods-drops-for-second-straight-month
Backs: “Everyday household goods trackers (e.g., Numerator) have shown similar modest YoY rises (around +2.2% in one August 2026 reading), sometimes with slight month-to-month declines.”
6retailbrew.comNews and media
https://www.retailbrew.com/stories/2024/12/18/2024-was-the-year-of-discounts-price-cuts-and-more-affordable-assortments
Backs: “In 2024 especially, chains like Target (thousands of cuts on essentials and discretionary items), Walmart (thousands of “rollbacks”), and others emphasized discounts and more affordable assortments. Goods prices showed some deflationary pressure at times.”
7npr.orgNews and mediaquality 0.93
https://text.npr.org/nx-s1-5241014
Backs: “About half the items unchanged, ~21 cheaper (e.g., bananas, salmon, some meats), and ~27 more expensive (e.g., eggs, ground beef at times).”
8youtube.comSocial media and video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eFDHR3ZwkvM
Backs: “Nearly half more expensive (influenced by weather/droughts on items like coffee/beef/cocoa, and some tariff effects on imports); about a quarter cheaper (notable relief on eggs after bird flu, plus some dairy and packaged goods).”
9nytimes.comNews and mediaquality 0.86
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/09/business/grocery-stores-lower-food-prices.html
Backs: “Shrinkflation (smaller packages at similar prices) has occurred in spots but is a smaller factor overall.”