Are prices lower in stores compared to a year ago?

No, prices in stores are generally not lower than a year ago—they are slightly higher on average, though inflation has cooled substantially from its peaks, some items/categories have declined, and retailers continue offering discounts and promotions.[1]

Latest Official Data (U.S., as of September 2026 CPI)

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Consumer Price Index:

•Overall CPI (all items): +3.7% year-over-year (YoY).[2]

•Food at home (groceries/supermarket prices): +1.8% YoY (down from higher rates earlier; it fell 0.1% month-over-month in September). Subcategories vary—dairy and related products were down 0.7% YoY, meats/poultry/fish/eggs up just 0.3%, while fruits/vegetables and nonalcoholic beverages rose more (around 3.7–3.8%).[1]

•Commodities less food and energy (a broad measure of core goods often found in stores): +0.7% YoY.[1]

•Other store-relevant categories: Apparel +3.4%; new vehicles +0.6%; used cars/trucks –1.5%; medical care commodities –3.3%; household furnishings and operations +1.6%; durables roughly flat (0.0%).[1]

These figures mean the average price level for goods in stores is modestly higher than in September 2025, not lower. A lower rate of increase (or occasional monthly dips) is not the same as absolute price declines. Cumulative grocery prices remain substantially higher than pre-pandemic levels (roughly +30%+ since early 2020).[3]

Context from Retailers and Recent Trends

•In 2024, major retailers (Walmart, Target, Aldi, and others) actively cut prices on thousands of items amid cooling inflation and consumer pushback, contributing to goods deflation in some periods (goods prices were down nearly 1% YoY at points) and heavy discounting/promotions. NPR’s multi-year Walmart shopping cart tracking showed average prices on a basket of items up only ~0.7% over 2024, with half unchanged, some cheaper (e.g., certain produce, salmon, pork), and others up (e.g., eggs, beef).[4]

•By 2025–2026, that aggressive rollback phase moderated. Grocery inflation has stayed low (around 1–2%), but positive. Some baskets tracked by analysts (e.g., at Walmart/Kroger) appeared roughly flat YoY in mid/late 2025 periods. Retailers still emphasize value, private labels, rollbacks, and promotions, especially for holidays or competitive categories.[5]

•Energy (especially gasoline, +34% YoY recently) and services (shelter, etc.) have driven more of the overall inflation; goods have been milder. Core goods saw some recent monthly firming.[6]

Bottom Line for Shoppers

•You may notice lower prices or better deals on specific items (e.g., certain dairy, produce, meats at times, used vehicles, or heavily promoted goods) due to competition, supply improvements, or retailer strategies. Discounts, sales events, and private-label options help offset costs.

•On average across a typical store basket, prices are a bit higher than a year ago. The experience at checkout often still feels elevated because of the large cumulative rises since 2020–2022, even as the pace of increases has slowed dramatically.

•Experiences vary by location, store (discount vs. premium), shopping habits (buying on sale, switching brands/sizes), and category. Shrinkflation (smaller packages at similar prices) has also been a factor in some products.

Data comes primarily from BLS CPI releases. For the most current numbers, check bls.gov/cpi, as figures update monthly. Local prices or specific retailers can differ from national averages.

Citations (6)

1bls.govGovernment
https://www.bls.gov/news.release/charts/cpi-cpi_rc_1cpibycat.stm
Backs: “No, prices in stores are generally not lower than a year ago—they are slightly higher on average, though inflation has cooled substantially from its peaks, some items/categories have declined, and retailers continue offering discounts and promotions.”
statistic, data page, neutral. Claim: Apparel +3.4%, new vehicles +0.6%, used cars -1.5%, medical care commodities -3.3%, furnishings +1.6%, durables flat.
2bls.govGovernment
https://www.bls.gov/cpi/
Backs: “Overall CPI (all items): +3.7% year-over-year (YoY).”
statistic, home page, points to no. Claim: Overall CPI (all items) is up 3.7% year-over-year.
3americandefault.orgNonprofits and think tanks
https://americandefault.org/statistics/grocery-price-increase-since-2020/
Backs: “Cumulative grocery prices remain substantially higher than pre-pandemic levels (roughly +30%+ since early 2020).”
statistic, article, points to no. Claim: Cumulative grocery prices remain roughly 30%+ higher than pre-pandemic levels since early 2020.
4npr.orgNews and mediaquality 0.93
https://www.npr.org/transcripts/nx-s1-5241014
Backs: “NPR’s multi-year Walmart shopping cart tracking showed average prices on a basket of items up only ~0.7% over 2024, with half unchanged, some cheaper (e.g., certain produce, salmon, pork), and others up (e.g., eggs, beef).”
evidence, article, neutral. Claim: NPR's Walmart basket tracking showed prices up only about 0.7% over 2024, with half unchanged, some cheaper and others higher.
5retailbrew.comNews and media
https://www.retailbrew.com/stories/2024/12/18/2024-was-the-year-of-discounts-price-cuts-and-more-affordable-assortments
Backs: “Retailers still emphasize value, private labels, rollbacks, and promotions, especially for holidays or competitive categories.”
evidence, article, neutral. Claim: Retailers emphasize value, private labels, rollbacks and promotions; 2024 saw widespread discounts and price cuts.
6seekingalpha.comNews and mediaquality 0.69
https://seekingalpha.com/article/4954214-inflation-spreads-across-economy-not-going-back-bottle-cpi-core-services-spike
Backs: “Energy (especially gasoline, +34% YoY recently) and services (shelter, etc.) have driven more of the overall inflation; goods have been milder. Core goods saw some recent monthly firming.”
evidence, article, points to no. Claim: Energy and services drove most overall inflation; goods milder, with some recent monthly firming in core goods.