Are prices lower in stores compared to a year ago?
Short Answer: It's Mixed — Mostly Not Lower, But Some Items Are
Overall, no, prices in stores are generally not lower than a year ago — but it's a nuanced picture with some notable exceptions.
The Big Picture
Overall grocery/food-at-home prices are still higher than a year ago, just rising more slowly than during the worst inflation years. Grocery prices are rising more slowly, but groceries are not getting cheaper overall — the U.S. food-at-home price index stood 2.2% above its August 2025 level. As one analysis put it, an inflation rate of 2.2% means prices are increasing more slowly than during the worst of the food-price surge, but it does not mean the earlier increases have been erased.
Most recent BLS-based data shows food prices up around 2–3% year-over-year overall, with food inflation cooled to 3.0% year-over-year, though that slowdown hasn't made groceries cheaper — food prices up 3.0% year-over-year.
What's Actually Cheaper
A handful of specific items are down compared to last year:
A local Minnesota price-check found similar relief: eggs down from $5.45 to $2.05, chicken down from $8.85 to $6.91, bread slightly down from $1.87 to $1.57, and milk down from $3.46 to $3.26.
What's Still Going Up (Sometimes Sharply)
Bottom Line
Think of it less as "prices went down" and more as "price increases have slowed." A few staples (especially eggs) got notably cheaper, but your overall grocery bill is still higher than a year ago — just not rising as fast as it was in 2022–2023.
Citations (8)
- Are Groceries Getting Cheaper? Why Your Bill May Say Otherwise - Food Trade News & Food World
Source excerpt: “Grocery prices are rising more slowly, but groceries are not getting cheaper overall. The U.S. food-at-home price index was unchanged in August 2026 a...”
- Are Groceries Getting Cheaper? Why Your Bill May Say Otherwise - Food Trade News & Food World
Source excerpt: “* An inflation rate of 2.2% means prices are increasing more slowly than they were during the worst of the food-price surge. It does not mean the earl...”
- US Grocery Price Statistics 2026: Food Inflation Guide
Source excerpt: “While overall food inflation has cooled to **3.0%** year-over-year, that slowdown hasn’t made groceries cheaper. ## Top 5 Grocery Inflation Takeaways...”
- Grocery Prices Could Drop in 2026: Here's What's Actually Getting Cheaper (And What Isn't) - Govtschemes.org
Source excerpt: “## Eggs Are the Biggest Winner This Year Eggs are the clearest bright spot in this year’s grocery data, and the numbers are striking. USDA now expects...”
- Are groceries more expensive than last year?
Source excerpt: “Eggs, tomatoes, potatoes, bread and chicken were all cheaper as of January 2026 than a year prior. Egg prices decreased the most (-48.0%), followed by...”
- Some Grocery Prices Are Finally Going Down — Here’s What’s Getting Cheaper - Better Report
Source excerpt: “## What’s Getting Cheaper ### Reader Favorites • Butter (-8.1%) • Salad dressing (-4.3%) • Cheese and related products (-4.2%) • Fresh whole chicken (...”
- Costs appear to be down compared to a year ago for food staples in Twin Cities
Source excerpt: “On average, eggs are down from $5.45 in January 2025 to $2.05 in January 2026. Chicken is down from $8.85 to $6.91. Bread is slightly down from $1.87 ...”
- US Grocery Price Statistics 2026: Food Inflation Guide
Source excerpt: “- Beef and veal prices have spiked by **11.8%** as the US cattle herd shrinks to a **75-year low**. ”