Answers

No, overall prices in stores are higher, not lower, than a year ago — though the pace of increases has slowed and a few specific items have gotten cheaper. Overall inflation: The broad Consumer Price Index (CPI), which tracks prices across the economy, increased 3.4% over the 12 months through August 2026, with this annual inflation rate unchanged from July. This means the overall cost of goods a

On average, no, prices in stores are not lower than they were a year ago. While the rate of inflation has slowed down from its peak a few years ago (a trend known as disinflation), prices are still rising, meaning that most items in grocery and retail stores are more expensive today than they were at this time last year. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Consumer Price Ind