Significant spike in Thanksgiving meal grocery prices

BRUNSWICK COUNTY, NC (WWAY) – One week from today, grocery stores will be busy with people shopping for their big Thanksgiving meal. Many consumer experts say with the rising inflation, people should be prepared to spend more on groceries for the holiday.

This year, the average cost of a classic thanksgiving feast for 10 people is just over $64, or less than $6.50 per person according to the American Farm Bureau Federation’s 37th annual survey .

The Farm Bureau says thanksgiving groceries have seen a 20 percent increase from 2021’s average.

According to the agency’s survey, some traditional thanksgiving meal items like stuffing mix are up by 69 %, frozen pie crust is up by 26 percent%, and the cost of 3 pounds of sweet potatoes is up by 11%.

“The way it is now, I know they’re going to keep on going up, like everything else is. They going to keep going up, so I just buy that much less, I reckon. Get the cheapest thing I can find,” said Winfred Shipman, shopper.

One shopper says she works at an area grocery store, and still expects many shoppers to rush to the store over the next few days, prepared to adapt to price increases.

“Everybody’s prices have gone up, everybody’s prices, –and I’ve also, I have shopped at food lion, because that’s by my house, and their prices are a little it higher than ours on a lot of stuff,” said Kim Tudor, shopper.

She says she has completed most of her own holiday meal shopping, thankful not to see the cost rise too much on her holiday meal must-have’s.

“One thing my grandmother used to make is celery, cream, cheese, and walnuts, and that is a staple every year. prices aren’t much more on those, right now. I mean, they’re not expensive items that I have,” said Tudor.

The Farm Bureau says the prices for frozen turkeys are dropping by about 14% this week. According to the USDA, many grocery store chains are offering specials ahead of the holidays.