Are prices lower in stores compared to a year ago?

Generally speaking, no, overall prices in stores are not lower than they were a year ago.

While the rapid rate of inflation has slowed down (a process known as disinflation), prices on average are still rising, meaning most goods and groceries are more expensive than they were in 2025. However, there is a silver lining: some specific store categories have seen price drops, and major retailers are aggressively slashing prices on thousands of individual items to attract budget-conscious shoppers.

1. The Broad Economic Data (CPI)

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

•Overall Prices: The overall cost of goods and services rose 3.7% over the 12 months ending in September 2026.

•Grocery Store Prices (Food-at-Home): Grocery prices rose 1.8% year-over-year as of September 2026. While this is a much slower pace of increase than in previous years, it still means your overall grocery bill is higher than it was a year ago.

•Restaurant Prices (Food-away-from-Home): If you are eating out, prices are up even more—rising 3.5% over the past year.

2. What Is Cheaper vs. What Is More Expensive?

Depending on what you put in your cart, you might see some minor relief:

•Cheaper than last year: Dairy products are down 0.7% year-over-year (with milk prices seeing notable drops). Beef and pork prices have also seen recent month-over-month declines, though beef remains historically expensive.

•More expensive than last year: Non-alcoholic beverages (sodas, juices) are up 3.8%, fresh fruits and vegetables are up 3.7%, and cereals and bakery items are up 2.1% compared to last year.

3. Retailers Are Forcing Selective Price Cuts

Even though the macroeconomic data shows prices are up, individual retail giants are engaged in a "price war" to win over inflation-fatigued shoppers. In 2026, many major stores implemented highly publicized price rollbacks:

•Walmart: Rolled back prices on roughly 11,000 items (including ground beef, produce, and summer/fall essentials). This was heavily aided by the company directing nearly $2.9 billion in Supreme Court-mandated tariff refunds back into consumer price cuts rather than corporate profits.

•Target: Lowered prices on more than 3,000 items in the spring of 2026, followed by another round of price cuts on 2,000+ items (including home goods, apparel, and toys) ahead of the holiday shopping season.

•Aldi: Reduced prices on hundreds of everyday grocery items and fresh produce to remain competitive with Walmart.

The Bottom Line

Your receipts are likely still higher overall than they were a year ago. However, because retailers are feeling the pressure of highly price-sensitive shoppers, you can find lower prices compared to last year if you actively shop the "rollback" aisles, buy store-brand essentials, and seek out promotional discounts.

Citations (11)

1in2013dollars.comData and tools
in2013dollars.com
Backs: “While the rapid rate of inflation has slowed down (a process known as disinflation), prices on average are still rising, meaning most goods and groceries are more expensive than they were in 2025.”
2grocerytradenews.comNews and media
grocerytradenews.com
Backs: “However, there is a silver lining: some specific store categories have seen price drops, and major retailers are aggressively slashing prices on thousands of individual items to attract budget-conscious shoppers.”
3facebook.comSocial media and video
facebook.com
Backs: “However, there is a silver lining: some specific store categories have seen price drops, and major retailers are aggressively slashing prices on thousands of individual items to attract budget-conscious shoppers.”
4bls.govGovernment
bls.gov
Backs: “The Broad Economic Data (CPI). According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Consumer Price Index (CPI): Overall Prices: The overall cost of goods and services rose 3.7% over the 12 months ending in September 2026.”
5usda.govGovernment
usda.gov
Backs: “While this is a much slower pace of increase than in previous years, it still means your overall grocery bill is higher than it was a year ago.”
6agbull.comNews and media
agbull.com
Backs: “Beef and pork prices have also seen recent month-over-month declines, though beef remains historically expensive.”
7qz.comNews and mediaquality 0.86
qz.com
Backs: “Retailers Are Forcing Selective Price Cuts. Even though the macroeconomic data shows prices are up, individual retail giants are engaged in a "price war" to win over inflation-fatigued shoppers. In 2026, many major stores implemented highly publicized price rollbacks:”
8grocerydive.comNews and media
grocerydive.com
Backs: “In 2026, many major stores implemented highly publicized price rollbacks: Walmart: Rolled back prices on roughly 11,000 items (including ground beef, produce, and summer/fall essentials). This was heavily aided by the company directing nearly $2.9 billion in Supreme Court-mandated tariff refunds back into consumer…”
9inc.comNews and mediaquality 0.88
inc.com
Backs: “This was heavily aided by the company directing nearly $2.9 billion in Supreme Court-mandated tariff refunds back into consumer price cuts rather than corporate profits. Target: Lowered prices on more than 3,000 items in the spring of 2026, followed by another round of price cuts on 2,000+ items (including home goods,…”
10foxbusiness.comNews and mediaquality 0.79
foxbusiness.com
Backs: “Target: Lowered prices on more than 3,000 items in the spring of 2026, followed by another round of price cuts on 2,000+ items (including home goods, apparel, and toys) ahead of the holiday shopping season.”
11forbes.comNews and mediaquality 0.83
forbes.com
Backs: “However, because retailers are feeling the pressure of highly price-sensitive shoppers, you can find lower prices compared to last year if you actively shop the "rollback" aisles, buy store-brand essentials, and seek out promotional discounts.”