As cussed U.S. inflation continues to drive grocery costs larger in 2025, one stunning exception is rising this month: the price of getting ready your Thanksgiving meal.
Customers can anticipate to spend about 2% to three% much less this yr on Turkey Day groceries, in line with a latest Wells Fargo evaluation of a typical Thanksgiving feast.
Customers are more likely to pay much less this yr as a result of the meals that make up a conventional Thanksgiving meal aren’t those driving grocery inflation, the financial institution discovered. Grocery costs general rose 2.7% in September from a yr in the past, in line with the newest Shopper Worth Index, led by will increase in beef, bananas and low — none of that are Thanksgiving staples.
“On the coronary heart of the uptick within the CPI’s food-at-home enhance is protein, particularly beef and eggs, which aren’t on the Thanksgiving menu,” Wells Fargo’s analysts mentioned within the report. “With out these gadgets, shoppers will discover reduction in a conventional Thanksgiving meal.”
Which will shock some customers, with greater than two-thirds saying they’re bracing for a pricier Thanksgiving grocery invoice, in line with new analysis from monetary providers firm Empower.
Customers who persist with retailer manufacturers are anticipated to spend a complete of about $80 on Thanksgiving dinner elements for a meal to feed 10 individuals, whereas shopping for brand-name merchandise may push that quantity to $95, the evaluation discovered. That is based mostly on serving a meal of turkey, stuffing, frozen greens, ready mashed potatoes, gravy, recent cranberries, dinner rolls, salad combine, and pumpkin pie with whipped cream.
That interprets to between roughly $8 and $9.50 per individual. This is the place customers will get monetary savings this yr on typical Thanksgiving meals, in line with Wells Fargo:
- Retail costs for turkeys are down 3.7% from a yr in the past
- Identify-brand frozen greens are down 15% in value due to competitors from private-label manufacturers
- Non-public-brand dinner rolls have declined 22%, which Wells Fargo attributed to falling demand for bread merchandise
- Stuffing, ready gravy combine and recent cranberries have dipped between 3% and 4% in value
- Nationwide model pumpkin pies value 3% much less
A number of gadgets have elevated in value, Wells Fargo famous. For example, the price of whipping cream has risen 3% from a yr in the past.
Walmart’s $4 Thanksgiving dinner
Some main grocery chains are touting much more inexpensive Thanksgiving meals, corresponding to Walmart’s $4 per individual vacation dinner bundle — decrease even than the retailer’s $7 deal in 2024.
The worth drop is not solely right down to decrease ingredient costs. This yr, Walmart’s $4 deal consists of 23 gadgets, a barely stingier providing than the 29 gadgets included in final yr’s Thanksgiving meal bundle.
A few of the modifications embody:
- One can of Campbell’s cream of mushroom soup in 2025, versus two cans in final yr’s bundle.
- No recent onions or celery
- No Jiffy corn muffin combine
Different retailers are additionally getting in on the finances Thanksgiving practice, together with Aldi’s $4 per individual deal and Goal’s roughly $5 per individual vacation dinner bundle.
