Walmart and Aldi have announced they are cutting prices on Thanksgiving dinner ingredients. / Photo: Shutterstock
Grocery prices appear to be easing after nearly two years of steady rises, prompting food retailers to mount a price war over who can offer the cheapest Thanksgiving meals. is.
Walmart, the nation’s largest grocer, and fast-growing discounter Aldi both announced Wednesday discounts for next month’s holiday season.
“I’m really proud to say that the price of Thanksgiving meals will be lower,” Walmart U.S. President and CEO John Furner said in an interview on “Good Morning America” ​​Wednesday. . “We finally have Thanksgiving baskets available at lower prices than they were a year ago. Americans need it now.”
In 2022, in the midst of double-digit inflation, Walmart sold Thanksgiving food at 2021 prices. But Furner said starting Nov. 1, a traditional Thanksgiving meal for up to 10 people will retail for just over $70, about $2 less than last year.
Walmart announced it will be selling two Thanksgiving meal options. Both are lower in price than last year, and one is prepared from scratch and the other is ready-to-bake.
“Nearly 92% of our customers say they’re concerned about grocery inflation,” Farner said on a morning news show. “Walmart’s purpose is to help people save money so they can live a better life. ” he said.
Aldi announced Wednesday that it will be cutting prices by up to 50% on more than 70 Thanksgiving favorites, including potatoes, pumpkin pie, cranberries, butter and flour, from Nov. 1 until the end of the year.
Aldi said shoppers can afford to invite three additional guests to their holiday table under the new pricing, as they save an average of 30% on a typical Thanksgiving meal for 10 people.
“With inflation still looming, we are providing shoppers with extra peace of mind to make the holiday season a time of celebration, not stress,” Aldi President Dave Rinaldo said in a statement. “What you serve at your Thanksgiving table is just as important as who sits around it, which is why Aldi offers huge savings on key items and always leaves room for more guests. ”
For example, Aldi is cutting the price of Chef’s Cupboard French Fried Onions from $2.89 to $1.79, Stone Mill Pure Vanilla from $5.89 to $3.49, and Specialty Brioche Rolls from $4.69 to $3.29. said.
Last November, the American Farm Bureau Federation tallied the average cost of a Thanksgiving meal for 10 people at $64.05, an increase of $10.74 from 2021.
Data released last week by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics showed food prices rose 2.4% in September from a year earlier, slowing from a 3% rise in August.