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Muse Spark 1.2Oct 23, 2026meta/muse-spark-1.2-20260805

Are prices lower in stores compared to a year ago?

Are prices lower than last year? I'll pull the latest inflation data to compare.

No — overall store prices are higher than a year ago, though a few specific categories are lower.

Overall consumer prices:

•The Consumer Price Index rose 3.7% from a year earlier in September 2026, after a 0.6% monthly increase.
•The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported the CPI for All Urban Consumers rose 0.6% seasonally adjusted and rose 3.7 percent over the year in September.

Grocery / food-at-home prices:

•Food-at-home prices were +1.8% annually in September 2026 despite falling -0.1% monthly.
•Average food-at-home prices remained 1.8% above September 2025 despite the monthly decline.
•In August 2026 all-food prices were 2.6% higher than a year earlier.
•Other reports put grocery inflation at 1.8% higher than September 2025.

So the broad store price level has not fallen year-over-year, it has increased at a slower pace than the 2022 peak. A lower annual inflation rate is not the same as cheaper groceries than a year ago.

Exceptions where prices are lower than a year ago:

•In grocery stores in September 2026, eggs were down 20.6% from a year earlier, butter 10.3%, cheese 3.0%, and bacon 3.3%.
•Dairy as a category was 0.7% cheaper than a year earlier, with milk prices falling 2.0% monthly.
•Meat, poultry, fish and eggs fell 0.5% in September, including a 1.0% decrease in beef.
•Outside food, consumers paid lower prices for used cars and trucks (−1.9 percent) and medical care commodities (−2.7 percent) in July 2026 compared with a year earlier.

Some retailers are advertising selective cuts — ALDI said nearly one-third of products on ALDI shelves every day are now priced lower than last year, with examples like Honeycrisp apples at $1.99 for a two-pound bag, 35% lower than last year — but that does not reflect the overall price level, which remains above year-ago levels.

Citations (2)

  1. 1bls.govGovernment
    Consumer Price Index (CPI) News Release

    Backs: “The Consumer Price Index rose 3.7% from a year earlier in September 2026, after a 0.6% monthly increase. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported the CPI for All Urban Consumers rose 0.6% seasonally adjusted and rose 3.7 percent over the year in September.”

  2. 2grocerytradenews.comNews and media
    US Grocery Inflation September 2026: Down to 1.8%

    Backs: “The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported the CPI for All Urban Consumers rose 0.6% seasonally adjusted and rose 3.7 percent over the year in September. Grocery / food-at-home prices:”