Are prices lower in stores compared to a year ago?

Short answer: No. On average, prices in stores are higher than a year ago.

•Overall consumer prices were up 3.4% year over year in August 2026 (latest data).[1]

•Grocery prices (“food at home”) were 2.2% higher than in August 2025.[1]

•Store-bought goods excluding food and energy were up about 0.7% year over year—close to flat, but not lower.[1]

There are a few exceptions by category (for example, dairy products were slightly cheaper year over year, and used cars fell), but most everyday store categories were flat to higher compared with last year.[1]

If you have a specific type of store or product in mind (e.g., groceries, apparel, home goods), 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).”