This year’s Thanksgiving will probably be less expensive, giving customers a unique respite. A Thanksgiving dinner for ten will typically cost $55.18, according to the American Farm Bureau Federation, a 5% decrease from the previous year. Retailers and producers lowered prices on key holiday staples like turkey, stuffing, and cranberries, partly because they discounted more aggressively and partly because demand for turkey and wheat, which is used to make stuffing, declined. As the agriculture industry deals with tariffs and increased production costs, the cost of other staples, such as sweet potatoes and fresh fruit, has increased.
A 16-pound whole turkey now costs $21.50, a 16.2% decrease from 2024 prices, according to the American Farm Bureau Federation. A 14-ounce package of cubed stuffing costs $3.71, down 9%, while fresh cranberries cost $2.28 for 12 ounces, down 3%. Some items, however, have seen price increases: a one-pound bag of green peas now costs $2.03, up 17.3%, and three pounds of sweet potatoes now cost $4, up 36.5%.
Thanksgiving this year may be cheaper than last
Premade Thanksgiving baskets that are less expensive than those from the previous year have been promoted by retailers. Walmart is offering a basket that can feed ten people for less than $4 per person, which is a 25% discount from the previous year. There are fewer items in the less expensive basket. Walmart retained essentials like a Butterball frozen turkey, a five-pound bag of potatoes, boxed macaroni and cheese, stuffing mixes, fresh cranberries, and ingredients for pumpkin pie and green bean casserole, while it eliminated sweet potatoes, pecan pie, and corn muffins. “We’re leaning into price rollbacks, and making both everyday essentials and seasonal celebrations more affordable for customers,” Walmart Chief Financial Officer John David Rainey told investors this week.
For less than $20, Target created a basket that could feed four people and included frozen turkey, gravy, stuffing mix, and potatoes. Aldi includes the ingredients for a pumpkin pie with whipped cream on top and a green bean casserole in its $40 box for ten. These holiday discounts stand in stark contrast to the general climate of higher grocery store prices. According to Bureau of Labor Statistics data, food-at-home expenses through October increased 2.7% over the previous year and are currently 25% higher than they were five years ago. Many consumers are looking for deals because of the savings opportunities.
Nowadays, some shoppers base their holiday purchases on sales. New Hampshire software architect Vincent Newcomb, 65, stated that if a store offers steep turkey discounts, he will probably go there. “We’ll probably go there for turkey and hit other stores” for everything else, he said. He plans to check fliers and compare deals at BJ’s Wholesale Club and Market Basket.
Featured Image Credit: Tima Miroshnichenko; Pexels: Thank you!
