St. Louis shoppers look for deals to prep their Thanksgiving meal
ST. LOUIS, Mo. (KMOV) - For anyone hosting next week, shoppers have already seen prices are higher this year at the grocery store. In a lot of cases, it’s the sides, not the bird costing people at check out.
Shopper Susan Bluestein was in good spirits loading her car in the Richmond Heights Schnucks’ parking lot, Wednesday. She said she saved $43 when she went to pay for her items. Bluestein said inflation made her question her holiday spread but thanks to those savings, she’s stuffing her car with enough food to prepare a full menu.
“Trying to (cut side dishes) but it’s hard,” Bluestein explained. “I have a family that likes to eat so it’s hard to cut back.”
There is good news for shoppers. Prices are lower this year.
The American Farm Bureau Federation reports a Thanksgiving meal for ten people, including a 16-pound turkey, sides, and dessert costs just over $61. That’s down 4.5 % from 2022.
The biggest reason why is an improved turkey supply, evident in the freezers First Alert 4 walked by inside Schnucks.
But even with the turkey relief, this year’s meal is still way above pre-pandemic levels.
“Everything you need across your table, we can provide,” Schnucks Executive VP Ted Schnuck said.
Schnucks is tackling rising costs for customers with what it calls, “Inflation busting ads.”
“On a lot of the key holiday items, we are 12% less expensive than Thanksgiving last year,” Schnuck shared. “So, customers will have an opportunity to buy what they need at a price they desire.”
One-way shoppers save is joining rewards programs or store apps to earn points with each purchase year round.
“I do it myself for my family,” Manager Steve Englert shared. “We save our rewards all year, bank them, and use them at Thanksgiving and Christmas.”
With many Americans looking to cut costs, several retailers are offering discounts on foods for the holiday.
Walmart is offering a meal with the basics for under $30.
Target is selling a similar feast for as little as $25.
Many canned items, including pumpkin filling and cranberry sauce have gone up in price, but according to a Wells Fargo report, there are deals in the produce aisle, including fresh cranberries.
https://www.wellsfargo.com/com/insights/agri-food-intelligence/food-inflation-thanksgiving/
Another challenge for shoppers over the holidays – the crowds. Schnucks told First Alert 4 trends show 1 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. is the slowest times in the store. Sundays are the busiest.
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