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GPT-5Oct 21, 2026openai/gpt-5-2025-08-07
Are prices lower in stores compared to a year ago?
Short answer: no. On average, prices in the U.S. are higher than a year ago.
•Overall consumer prices were up 3.7% year over year in September 2026 (compared with September 2025), per the latest CPI release.[1]
•Grocery store prices (“food at home”) were up 1.8% year over year in September 2026.[1]
Some store-bought goods are a bit cheaper than a year ago—for example, used cars and trucks (-1.5% YoY) and furniture/bedding (-2.4% YoY)—but most categories are flat to higher.[1]
If you have a specific category (e.g., groceries, clothing, electronics), I can pull the latest figures for that.
Citations (1)
- Consumer Price Index News Release - 2026 M09 Results
Backs: “Overall consumer prices were up 3.7% year over year in September 2026 (compared with September 2025), per the latest CPI release.”