Are prices lower in stores compared to a year ago?

No, overall store prices are not lower compared to last year. While the extreme inflation spikes of previous years have normalized to some extent, prices in stores continue to rise, meaning most goods are more expensive than they were a year ago.

According to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the overall Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose 3.4%.

Here is a breakdown of how prices in different categories compare:

1. Grocery Stores (Food-at-Home)

•Overall Increase: Standard grocery store purchases are about 2.2% to 2.7% more expensive than they were a year ago.

•What Went Up: Most grocery aisles have seen price hikes. Fresh fruits, fresh vegetables (up over 2.6%), and sugar and sweets (up over 6.1%) remain under upward pressure. Canned items and imported goods like coffee have also risen, driven in part by global shipping costs, weather disruptions, and tariffs.

•The Rare Exception: Eggs are one of the few items that are notably cheaper. Egg prices fell roughly 23% compared to a year ago, primarily because the agricultural sector recovered from the severe bird flu (Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza) outbreaks that previously decimated poultry populations and drove egg prices to historic highs.

2. Retail Goods and Apparel

•Clothing and Apparel: Buying clothes will cost you more. Apparel prices are roughly 3.6% higher than they were a year ago.

•Impact of Tariffs: Price adjustments stemming from tariff implementations in late 2025 have gradually trickled down to retail shelves in 2026. Analysts estimate that these tariffs have kept the prices of imported consumer goods—and domestic goods that rely on imported parts—substantially higher than they would have been otherwise.

3. Energy and Transportation

•Gas and Utilities: The energy sector has seen a sharp climb, with overall energy prices up about 16.3% compared to last year. This spike has kept gasoline and diesel prices high, which also increases the shipping costs for the retail items and groceries delivered to stores.

•Cars: Both new and used vehicle prices remain stubbornly high. While wholesale prices have shown some stability, retail prices for used cars average around $25,400, and interest rates on auto loans remain elevated.

Summary

If you feel like your receipt is higher than it was last year, you aren't imagining it. While select items (like eggs) have come down from prior supply-shock peaks, the vast majority of items in grocery and retail stores cost more now than they did a year ago.

Citations (14)

1ncoa.orgNonprofits and think tanks
ncoa.org
Backs: “No, overall store prices are not lower compared to last year. While the extreme inflation spikes of previous years have normalized to some extent, prices in stores continue to rise, meaning most goods are more expensive than they were a year ago.”
2usda.govGovernment
usda.gov
Backs: “No, overall store prices are not lower compared to last year. While the extreme inflation spikes of previous years have normalized to some extent, prices in stores continue to rise, meaning most goods are more expensive than they were a year ago.”
3agbull.comNews and media
agbull.com
Backs: “No, overall store prices are not lower compared to last year. While the extreme inflation spikes of previous years have normalized to some extent, prices in stores continue to rise, meaning most goods are more expensive than they were a year ago.”
4bls.govGovernment
bls.gov
Backs: “According to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the overall Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose 3.4%.”
5fastcompany.comNews and mediaquality 0.80
fastcompany.com
Backs: “What Went Up: Most grocery aisles have seen price hikes.”
6grocerytradenews.comNews and media
grocerytradenews.com
Backs: “Egg prices fell roughly 23% compared to a year ago, primarily because the agricultural sector recovered from the severe bird flu (Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza) outbreaks that previously decimated poultry populations and drove egg prices to historic highs.”
7officialdata.orgNot yet classified
officialdata.org
Backs: “Retail Goods and Apparel. Clothing and Apparel: Buying clothes will cost you more.”
8ycharts.comData and tools
ycharts.com
Backs: “Apparel prices are roughly 3.6% higher than they were a year ago.”
9federalreserve.govGovernment
federalreserve.gov
Backs: “Impact of Tariffs: Price adjustments stemming from tariff implementations in late 2025 have gradually trickled down to retail shelves in 2026.”
10newyorkfed.orgNot yet classified
newyorkfed.org
Backs: “Impact of Tariffs: Price adjustments stemming from tariff implementations in late 2025 have gradually trickled down to retail shelves in 2026.”
11bls.govGovernment
bls.gov
Backs: “This spike has kept gasoline and diesel prices high, which also increases the shipping costs for the retail items and groceries delivered to stores. Cars: Both new and used vehicle prices remain stubbornly high.”
12southernimportspecialist.comNot yet classified
southernimportspecialist.com
Backs: “Cars: Both new and used vehicle prices remain stubbornly high. While wholesale prices have shown some stability, retail prices for used cars average around $25,400, and interest rates on auto loans remain elevated.”
13focus2move.comNot yet classified
focus2move.com
Backs: “Cars: Both new and used vehicle prices remain stubbornly high. While wholesale prices have shown some stability, retail prices for used cars average around $25,400, and interest rates on auto loans remain elevated.”
14in2013dollars.comData and tools
in2013dollars.com
Backs: “1.”