Are prices lower in stores compared to a year ago?

Generally speaking, no, overall prices in stores are not lower compared to a year ago.

Instead of prices actually dropping (which is known as deflation), what is happening is disinflation—meaning prices are still rising, but at a much slower and more stable pace than the dramatic spikes seen during the high-inflation years of 2021–2023.

However, because consumers have become increasingly price-sensitive, there are a few notable exceptions, including specific grocery categories and targeted price cuts by major retail chains.

The Big Picture (By the Numbers)

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Consumer Price Index (CPI) data:

•Overall Store Prices: Headline consumer inflation rose by 3.4%.

•Groceries (Food-at-Home): Grocery store prices are about 2.2% higher than they were a year ago. While this is a massive improvement from the double-digit spikes of the past, the average weekly grocery bill is still creeping upward.

•Clothing (Apparel): Apparel prices in stores are roughly 3.6% higher than they were a year ago, driven in part by supply chain shifts and tariff adjustments on imported goods.

What Is Actually Cheaper Than a Year Ago?

While the overall basket of goods is more expensive, you will find lower price tags in a few specific areas:

1.Eggs: After suffering massive price spikes due to bird flu outbreaks in previous years, egg prices have seen a dramatic recovery. Retail egg prices are roughly 27% to 34% lower than they were a year ago.

2.Certain Dairy Products: Driven by higher domestic milk production, some key dairy items (like cheese and wholesale milk) have experienced slight downward price pressures, remaining flat or dropping slightly (about 0.3% lower).

3.Retailer "Price Wars" on Select Items: To combat "shopper fatigue," major discount grocers and retailers like Aldi, Walmart, Target, and Sam's Club have made highly publicized investments to manually slash prices on thousands of specific items. For example:

•Aldi announced millions of dollars in price cuts heading into the fall, dropping prices on nearly one-third of its everyday items (focusing on seafood, frozen items, and healthy snacks).

•Walmart and Giant Eagle targeted summer and fall price cuts on store-brand staples, fresh meat, and household essentials to lure budget-conscious shoppers back into stores.

Summary

If you walk into a store today, your receipt will likely still be higher than it was a year ago for an identical cart of goods. However, you can successfully find lower prices if you actively seek out store-brand items, shop at discount chains that are actively cutting prices, or focus on recovering food categories like eggs.

Citations (10)

1grocerytradenews.comNews and media
grocerytradenews.com
Backs: “Instead of prices actually dropping (which is known as deflation), what is happening is disinflation—meaning prices are still rising, but at a much slower and more stable pace than the dramatic spikes seen during the high-inflation years of 2021–2023. However, because consumers have become increasingly…”
2seafoodsource.comNot yet classified
seafoodsource.com
Backs: “However, because consumers have become increasingly price-sensitive, there are a few notable exceptions, including specific grocery categories and targeted price cuts by major retail chains.”
3senate.govGovernment
senate.gov
Backs: “The Big Picture (By the Numbers). According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Consumer Price Index (CPI) data: Overall Store Prices: Headline consumer inflation rose by 3.4%. Groceries (Food-at-Home): Grocery store prices are about 2.2% higher than they were a year ago.”
4usda.govGovernment
usda.gov
Backs: “Groceries (Food-at-Home): Grocery store prices are about 2.2% higher than they were a year ago. While this is a massive improvement from the double-digit spikes of the past, the average weekly grocery bill is still creeping upward.”
5bls.govGovernment
bls.gov
Backs: “Groceries (Food-at-Home): Grocery store prices are about 2.2% higher than they were a year ago. While this is a massive improvement from the double-digit spikes of the past, the average weekly grocery bill is still creeping upward.”
6reddit.comForums and Q&A
reddit.com
Backs: “While this is a massive improvement from the double-digit spikes of the past, the average weekly grocery bill is still creeping upward. Clothing (Apparel): Apparel prices in stores are roughly 3.6% higher than they were a year ago, driven in part by supply chain shifts and tariff adjustments on imported goods.”
7youtube.comSocial media and video
youtube.com
Backs: “Clothing (Apparel): Apparel prices in stores are roughly 3.6% higher than they were a year ago, driven in part by supply chain shifts and tariff adjustments on imported goods.”
8ycharts.comData and tools
ycharts.com
Backs: “Clothing (Apparel): Apparel prices in stores are roughly 3.6% higher than they were a year ago, driven in part by supply chain shifts and tariff adjustments on imported goods.”
9usda.govGovernment
usda.gov
Backs: “Retail egg prices are roughly 27% to 34% lower than they were a year ago. 2.”
10forbes.comNews and mediaquality 0.83
forbes.com
Backs: “However, you can successfully find lower prices if you actively seek out store-brand items, shop at discount chains that are actively cutting prices, or focus on recovering food categories like eggs. 1.”