Are prices lower in stores compared to a year ago?

Prices a year ago — I'll pull the latest store-price data to compare.

No - store prices on average are still higher than a year ago, even though the rate of inflation has slowed.

•United States - Overall consumer prices (CPI-U) increased 2.9 percent for the 12 months ending August 2025. Food prices increased 3.2 percent since August 2024.

•The food-at-home index, which measures prices for food purchased at grocery stores and supermarkets, was 2.2% higher than a year ago, with some categories higher:

•Nonalcoholic beverage prices increased 3.7%

•Month-to-month dips do not mean year-over-year declines. For example:

•The food-at-home index fell 0.1% in September and increased 1.8% over the preceding 12 months

•Grocery prices actually fell 0.1 percent from June to July but were still up 2.2 percent in July compared with July 2025 in the Midwest example.

•Fact checks note grocery prices are up, not “way down”:

> Grocery prices have increased 3.4% on average since January 2025

A lower inflation rate does not mean prices are dropping - it means prices are rising more slowly than before, after the large increases already incorporated into supermarket prices.

Some specific grocery items are cheaper than a year ago, but they do not outweigh overall increases:

•Egg prices, which surged in 2025, are now down 45 percent compared to a year ago, while cheese prices have dropped 4.4 percent. Dairy prices overall are down 1.6 percent year-over-year.

Other countries show the same pattern - store prices higher year-over-year:

•UK: Shop price inflation edged up to 0.7% year on year in December 2025. Food price inflation increased to 3.3% year-on-year, while non-food prices continued to decline at minus 0.6% year-on-year - so overall shop prices still up.

•Canada: Food purchased from stores increased 2.8% year over year in August 2026, and prices for food purchased from stores increased 3.1% in July compared with a year earlier. Earlier in 2025, food purchased from stores increased 4.3% year over year in May 2026.

In short, while a few items or month-to-month comparisons show small declines, store prices in aggregate are not lower than a year ago - they are about 2-3% higher on average.

Citations (1)

1bls.govGovernment
Consumer prices up 2.9 percent from August 2024 to August 2025
Backs: “No - store prices on average are still higher than a year ago, even though the rate of inflation has slowed. United States - Overall consumer prices (CPI-U) increased 2.9 percent for the 12 months ending August 2025.”