Thanksgiving dinner is slightly cheaper this year
(WBRE/WYOU) — Many are making a mad dash to the grocery store today to pick up some last-minute items for the Thanksgiving feast.
The good news, the price of most Thanksgiving staples has leveled off or even dropped compared to last year.
This is certainly welcome news for so many consumers in our area who are battling high costs this holiday season.
Gerrity’s in Hanover Township was packed with shoppers filling up their carts with food on Thanksgiving Eve.
“I’m just shopping for odds and ends, like last-minute stuff because we have more people coming to the house than I expected,” said James Gregory from Shickshinny.
The fresh grocer, owned and operated by Gerrity’s Supermarkets, reports its Thanksgiving-related retail prices have dropped more than 12% from 2022.
“These are products that people need. it’s not a want, you don’t want food, you need food. and so, when we can allow our customers to save money on their grocery bill, and feed their family for less money, it’s a really good feeling,” explained Joe Fasula the co-owner of Gerrity’s Supermarket
After tracking the yearly cost of a Thanksgiving meal including 15 items, Fasula says customers are now paying around $48 compared to $55.
The biggest price drop is in the produce department green beans, onions, and red potatoes are down in price by an average of 35%.
“I don’t want to give customers a false hope. there is still food inflation lurking out there, you’re still gonna see prices continue to rise, unfortunately,” added Fasula.
Fasula says the cost of wheat is notably high as the price of a loaf of bread went up 10 cents
“It’s not the same, nothing’s the same anymore. everything’s gone way sky-high, but one day at a time is all we can do,” says Susan Cromer from Hanover Township.
According to the American Farm Bureau Federation, the nationwide drop in turkey prices which is about $27 for a 16-pound frozen whole turkey is due to the decrease in poultry affected by the bird flu outbreak that began in 2022.
