Are prices lower in stores compared to a year ago?

Are store prices down from last year? I'll pull the latest year-over-year data to compare.

No - on average, prices in stores are still higher than a year ago, even though the rate of increase has slowed and some individual items are cheaper.

•Overall consumer prices were 3.7% higher in September than a year earlier, up from 3.4% in August. That is the headline Consumer Price Index (CPI) for all items.

•For store-bought food specifically:

•Grocery prices in America remain higher than they were a year ago

•The latest Bureau of Labor Statistics data for September 2026 shows that food purchased for home consumption cost 1.8% more than a year earlier

•Overall, grocery prices dropped 0.1% on a seasonally adjusted basis last month, leaving them 1.8% higher than a year earlier

•In the CPI breakdown, Groceries (food at home) was +1.8% year-over-year, well below overall inflation of 3.7% but still positive.

This means a household still faces a larger bill than last year for the same basket, even when monthly price increases are small or some products go on sale. A 1.8% rate is often described as a bright spot because it is below the overall inflation rate of 3.7%, but it is not deflation - prices did not go down on average, they just rose more slowly.

Changes are uneven by aisle:

•Lower than a year ago: Egg prices plummeted more than 20% over the year ending in September, Butter prices plunged 10.3% last month compared to a year earlier, bacon costs 3.3% less than it did a year ago

•Higher than a year ago: Seafood prices have jumped more than 6% over the past year, coffee prices climbed more than 7% over the year, fresh fruits and apple/tomato prices also rose 6-7%

Outside groceries, a few non-food store items are lower - smartphones are 10.93% lower in 2026 versus 2025, car insurance −5.0% and used cars −1.5% year-over-year - but those declines are not enough to pull the store average negative.

Citations (2)

1calculatorai.appNot yet classified
Inflation 3.7% (Sept 2026 CPI): Cash, Raises, Budget
Backs: “No - on average, prices in stores are still higher than a year ago, even though the rate of increase has slowed and some individual items are cheaper.”
statistic, article, points to no. Claim: Overall consumer prices were 3.7% higher in September than a year earlier, so store prices are still higher on average despite slowing increases.
2kauaidailynews.comNot yet classified
Which grocery prices are rising the fastest and which are falling?
Backs: “The latest Bureau of Labor Statistics data for September 2026 shows that food purchased for home consumption cost 1.8% more than a year earlier. Overall, grocery prices dropped 0.1% on a seasonally adjusted basis last month, leaving them 1.8% higher than a year earlier”
statistic, article, points to no. Claim: Grocery prices rose 1.8% year over year in September, with some items like eggs and butter lower and others like coffee higher.