Aldi, Walmart promise pre-inflation prices on Thanksgiving food staples. What to know
Record inflation has sent grocery prices sky high, making it hard for some families to put food on the table this Thanksgiving.
To help shoppers save this holiday season, Walmart and Aldi will offer discounts on Thanksgiving essentials to match pre-inflation prices, the grocery stores announced this week.
The markdowns include holiday favorites from sweet potatoes and pumpkin pie to green beans and, of course, turkey.
Walmart said it will offer “this year’s Thanksgiving meal at last year’s price” with savings that shoppers can enjoy through Monday, Dec. 26, according to a news release. The discounted prices are available in-store and online, where customers can shop from meal “baskets.”
“All the basics are there, like turkey, ham, potatoes and stuffing, but the convenience items are there too, like ready-to-heat mac and cheese or freshly made pumpkin pie,” John Laney, executive vice president of food at Walmart, said in a statement. “And we ensured that the price for the same basket of items does not cost more than it did last year.”
Aldi is offering customers similar savings by matching 2019’s grocery prices — a 30% discount — as part of its Thanksgiving Price Rewind.
Through Nov. 29, customers can shop discounts on select appetizers, sides, desserts and drinks, according to a company news release. The offer is available in store and online.
Inflation and Thanksgiving
The savings come as record inflation pushes up grocery prices. Data from September’s Consumer Price Index shows the cost of food rose 11.2% compared to the same time last year. Families are also paying more for “food at home” — eggs, meat, fish, etc. — which is up 13% year-over-year, data shows.
The price hikes are sure to have an impact on holiday meals. A report by market research firm IRI forecast that a traditional Thanksgiving dinner could cost 13.5% more than it did in 2021, CNN Business reported.
Even with discounts and promotions, experts said shoppers should expect to spend more this year.
“Promotions could swing the number a little, but I don’t expect [them] to swing it in a meaningful way,” Alastair Steel, executive of IRI Client Engagement, told CNN Business. “If anything, there are slightly less promotions.”
Items driving up the cost of Thanksgiving dinner this year include “eggs (+32.5%), butter (+25.8%), and flour (+17.1%),“ according to a report by Wells Fargo. Fruits and vegetables saw the smallest price increase at 7.3%, the report said.
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