Are prices lower in stores compared to a year ago?

No, overall prices in stores are generally not lower than a year ago; they are higher on average, though the increase is modest for many goods, some specific items or categories have fallen, and retailers have used discounts/promotions.[1]

Latest U.S. Data (as of September 2026)

The Consumer Price Index (CPI) from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics provides the broadest measure of consumer prices:

•Overall CPI: Up 3.7% year-over-year (rose 0.6% in September alone). Core CPI (excluding food and energy) was up 2.6%.[1]

•Food at home (groceries): Up about 1.8% year-over-year. Food overall +2.5%. Some subcategories vary (e.g., dairy down ~0.7%; fruits/vegetables up ~3.7%; meats/poultry/fish/eggs mixed or low single digits).[2]

•Goods (commodities less food and energy): Up roughly 0.7%. Apparel +3.4%; household furnishings modest increases; used cars/trucks down ~1.5%; medical care commodities down.[2]

•Energy has been a big driver higher recently (gasoline +34% YoY in some reports amid geopolitical factors), which affects store costs indirectly.[1]

Private trackers and retailer data align with moderated but positive inflation for everyday goods (e.g., one consumer goods index showed prices up ~2.6% YoY in mid-2026).[3]

Context from Recent Years

•2024: This was more of a "year of discounts." Major retailers like Walmart, Target, and others cut prices on thousands of items (e.g., Target on ~5,000–7,000 items; Walmart rollbacks). Goods prices saw deflation (down nearly 1% in some months), food-at-home inflation cooled to ~1%, and an NPR basket of ~96 Walmart items rose <1% on average (half unchanged, some cheaper like bananas/pork, others up like eggs/beef). Overall CPI was lower then.[4]

•2025 into 2026: Inflation remained positive but cooler than the 2021–2023 peaks. Grocery and goods inflation stayed low-to-moderate (often 1–3%), with some deflation in non-food items earlier and volatility from factors like avian flu (eggs), weather (coffee/cocoa), tariffs/imports, and energy. NPR-style tracking and other reports showed mixed baskets: some items cheaper, many stable or higher, cumulative multi-year increases still notable vs. pre-pandemic.[5]

•Shoppers often feel prices are higher due to the cumulative rise since ~2019–2020 (food up substantially overall) and "shrinkflation" (smaller packages at similar prices), even when YoY changes are small.[6]

Nuances and Variations

•Not uniform: Produce, certain proteins, apparel, furniture, or discretionary goods have seen declines or heavy promotions in periods of competition/soft demand. Eggs fell sharply after bird flu eased in some years. Imported goods can face upward pressure from tariffs or supply issues.

•Retailer actions: Chains continue promotions, private-label expansion, and rollbacks to attract price-sensitive shoppers. Holiday/seasonal baskets (e.g., Thanksgiving) have sometimes been cheaper due to promotions.

•UK/other places: Similar patterns of shop-price deflation or very low inflation in non-food in some periods (e.g., UK BRC data showing deflation driven by clothing/furniture).

•Perception vs. data: Checkout totals can feel higher due to basket composition, services inflation (e.g., restaurants higher than groceries), or housing/energy elsewhere in the budget. Official indexes track a fixed basket and quality adjustments.

Prices are measured in various ways (shelf prices, unit prices, CPI weighted baskets). For the most current local view, check apps, store circulars, or sites tracking specific items. Overall inflation has cooled significantly from peaks but remains positive, so the typical store basket costs more than a year prior. Data comes primarily from BLS CPI releases and retailer/consumer tracking reports.

Citations (6)

1cnbc.comNews and mediaquality 0.85
https://www.cnbc.com/2026/10/14/cpi-inflation-report-september-2026.html
Backs: “No, overall prices in stores are generally not lower than a year ago; they are higher on average, though the increase is modest for many goods, some specific items or categories have fallen, and retailers have used discounts/promotions.”
2bls.govGovernment
https://www.bls.gov/news.release/charts/cpi-cpi_rc_1cpibycat.stm
Backs: “Some subcategories vary (e.g., dairy down ~0.7%; fruits/vegetables up ~3.7%; meats/poultry/fish/eggs mixed or low single digits).”
3numerator.comNot yet classified
https://www.numerator.com/press/numerator-consumer-goods-price-index-inflation-decelerating-prices-up-2-6-vs-2025/
Backs: “Private trackers and retailer data align with moderated but positive inflation for everyday goods (e.g., one consumer goods index showed prices up ~2.6% YoY in mid-2026).”
4retailbrew.comNews and media
https://www.retailbrew.com/stories/2024/12/18/2024-was-the-year-of-discounts-price-cuts-and-more-affordable-assortments
Backs: “Goods prices saw deflation (down nearly 1% in some months), food-at-home inflation cooled to ~1%, and an NPR basket of ~96 Walmart items rose <1% on average (half unchanged, some cheaper like bananas/pork, others up like eggs/beef). Overall CPI was lower then.”
5vpm.orgNot yet classified
https://www.vpm.org/npr-news/npr-news/2026-01-14/how-have-prices-changed-in-a-year-npr-checked-114-items-at-walmart
Backs: “NPR-style tracking and other reports showed mixed baskets: some items cheaper, many stable or higher, cumulative multi-year increases still notable vs. pre-pandemic.”
6npr.orgNews and mediaquality 0.93
https://www.npr.org/transcripts/nx-s1-5241014
Backs: “Shoppers often feel prices are higher due to the cumulative rise since ~2019–2020 (food up substantially overall) and "shrinkflation" (smaller packages at similar prices), even when YoY changes are small.”