Are prices lower in stores compared to a year ago?

Short answer: No. On average, prices in U.S. stores are higher than a year ago. The latest Consumer Price Index shows overall prices were up 3.4% in August 2026 versus August 2025.[1]

Details:

•Groceries (food at home): up 2.2% year over year, so not lower.[1]

•Many retail goods (commodities excluding food and energy): roughly flat to slightly higher, up 0.7% year over year; some individual items are cheaper. For example, used cars and trucks were down 2.3% and dairy prices were down 0.3% versus a year earlier.[1]

If you tell me which kinds of items or a specific area you care about, I can pull the closest category or local index.

Citations (1)

1bls.govGovernment
Consumer Price Index News Release - 2026 M08 Results
Backs: “The latest Consumer Price Index shows overall prices were up 3.4% in August 2026 versus August 2025.”