With just over a month left until Thanksgiving and the start of the winter holiday season, Americans are already keeping an eye on grocery prices to gauge how much this year’s festive gatherings will cost. But one major retailer is ignoring inflation to keep traditional turkey dinners more affordable.
John Furner, president and CEO of Walmart US, the nation’s largest retailer, appeared on “Good Morning America” on Wednesday, exclusively on ABC News, to make Thanksgiving more affordable. Walmart’s new plans to lower prices have been revealed.
“Last Thanksgiving, we decided to sell Thanksgiving meals at the same price as in 2021,” Furner said of the strategy he implemented on other major holidays. “This year, we’re finally able to get our Thanksgiving baskets at a lower price than a year ago. We’re really proud to be lowering the price of our Thanksgiving meals.”
This year’s Walmart Thanksgiving baskets include ingredients to make meals for up to 10 people and will retail for just over $70, “about $2 less than last year,” Furner said. .
Furner added that the move was made in response to feedback from consumers: “92% of our customers say they are concerned about food inflation.”
Inflation is up 3.7% from a year ago, and U.S. households are spending $235 more per month on the same goods and services than they did a year ago, according to Moody’s Analytics.
While Americans have seen supply chain shifts, spending habits change, and other economic fallout from the pandemic, Furner said, “inflation has really started to set in and prices for things like food and supplies have started to rise. “It’s been an interesting few years since last year.” And more and more people are eating at home. ”
“People are shopping earlier, whether it’s food or preparing things for guests,” Furner said.
Walmart’s holiday food baskets will be available at reduced prices from November 1st to December 26th. There are two purchasing options. One comes with ingredients for customers who want to cook from scratch, and the other is for customers who prefer something more convenient. , a ready-to-bake option.
“Walmart’s Thanksgiving meals include customer favorites and classics, from turkey (less than $1 a pound!) and ham to stuffing and pumpkin pie, including many national brands.” stated Walmart’s press release.
Holiday Meal Baskets can be ordered, picked up, and delivered online as well as in-store.