Are prices lower in stores compared to a year ago?
Are store prices down from last year? I'll pull the latest price data to check.
In general, no - prices in stores are still higher than a year ago, inflation has just slowed.
> The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) increased 2.9 percent for the 12 months ending August 2025
> Prices for all items less food and energy rose 3.1 percent, food prices increased 3.2 percent, and energy prices increased 0.2 percent since August 2024
More recent regional data in August 2026 also shows year-over-year increases, for example:
> Area prices were up 0.5 percent over the past two months, up 2.5 percent from a year ago and
> Area prices were up 0.5 percent over the past month, up 3.6 percent from a year ago
> The latest figures from the Bureau of Labor Statistics indicate that the national food-at-home price index held steady from July to August 2026 while remaining 2.2 percent above the level recorded a year earlier
> The government's consumer price index shows that grocery prices were flat from July to August and up just 2.2% from a year ago
> Overall grocery prices were 2.2% higher than a year ago
In Canada the pattern is similar:
> Canadian grocery prices were still higher than a year earlier in August, but their pace of increase slowed to 2.8%
> prices for food bought in stores rose 3.1% in July compared with a year earlier
This reflects that inflation is measuring how quickly prices change, not whether they have returned to an earlier level:
> A 2.8% annual grocery rate means the average basket still costs more than it did a year ago; it simply rose more slowly
> For a typical Thanksgiving dinner in 2025, consumers can expect groceries to be around 2% to 3% less than the previous year
> Almost a third of the items in the discounter's everyday in-store assortment are now less expensive than they were in 2025
> Furniture and bedding prices fell 0.9% during the month and were 0.8% lower than a year earlier
But these are category or retailer-specific moves within a market where the overall basket remains elevated. Forecasts continue to project further modest increases rather than a broad reversal, with the Department of Agriculture projecting food-at-home prices will rise an average of 2.5 percent for the full year 2026
Citations (3)
- Consumer prices up 2.9 percent from August 2024 to August 2025 : The Economics Daily : U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Backs: “Overall Consumer Price Index (CPI) is still rising year-over-year, not falling: The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) increased 2.9 percent for the 12 months ending August 2025”
- Why Grocery Receipts Keep Climbing Despite Slower Price Growth - The Garden Magazine
Backs: “For grocery/store food specifically ("food at home"), prices are flat month-to-month but still up vs. last year: The latest figures from the Bureau of Labor Statistics indicate that the national food-at-home price index held steady from July to August 2026 while remaining 2.2 percent above the level recorded a year…”
- Still shocked at your grocery bill? Here's why prices aren't coming down
Backs: “The latest figures from the Bureau of Labor Statistics indicate that the national food-at-home price index held steady from July to August 2026 while remaining 2.2 percent above the level recorded a year earlier. The government's consumer price index shows that grocery prices were flat from July to August and up just…”