TOLEDO, Ohio — Thanksgiving is just a week away, and many consumers are feeling the sting of rising grocery prices. While turkey remains the priciest item on this year’s holiday menu, many traditional side dishes have also seen price increases.
At local grocery stores and online retailers, prices vary for Thanksgiving staples.
The cost of turkey this year ranges widely, with prices starting at 45 cents per pound and reaching as high as $2 per pound for premium varieties. According to online listings from Walmart, Target, and Aldi, the price of green beans ranges from $1.59 to 63 cents per can. Potatoes are priced between $1.77 at Walmart, $2.49 at Target, and $3.29 at Aldi.
Rod Seman, a manager at Toledo Food Market, a local grocer in Toledo, Ohio, said food prices have doubled in the past year. At his store, the average price for turkey is $1.99 per pound.
Seman said he hopes prices will decrease in the new year, citing concerns that families are struggling to keep up. "Chips are up, eggs are up, everything is up, cakes are up," Seman said. "Hopefully, they will bring them down this new year with new prices, and people can be happy. Because a hundred-dollar bill today is nothing."
In response to rising costs, some retailers are offering meal deals to help shoppers save time and money. Walmart’s Thanksgiving meal deal offers 21 ingredients for $51, including a 10-pound turkey for $12, two cans of green beans, potatoes, cranberry sauce, and a frozen premade pie. The meal can serve up to eight people.
Target’s Thanksgiving meal deal, priced at $20, feeds four people and includes seven ingredients, such as potatoes, green beans, cranberry sauce, and a 10-pound turkey.
At Aldi, customers can purchase 27 ingredients for $47, with a typical turkey priced around $20.
All three retailers offer the option to shop for these deals online and either pick up the groceries or have them delivered.