Grocery Stores Are Rewinding Prices This Thanksgiving To Beat Inflation

As most shoppers are painfully aware, food prices have soared in recent years thanks in part to supply chain and workplace safety issues caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. (Trading Economics reports that — since September 2021 — food costs in the United States have increased by a whopping 11.2%.) Of course, the holiday season waits for no one, and inflation will not be slowing down just yet, likely continuing to rise well into 2023 (via USDA).

Food inflation understandably has many shoppers concerned as one of the biggest days for eating in the U.S., Thanksgiving, is fast approaching. And with Americans largely returning to their pre-pandemic routines, (according to The Hill, in 2021 over 60% of people who participated in a Monmouth University survey planned to celebrate Thanksgiving with the same number of people they had before COVID hit) this means you're unlikely to catch a break with smaller portions and fewer guests. However, some stores are committed to making the holidays a bit more manageable in 2022 by offering prices on Thanksgiving staples that match those offered in previous years.

According to a press release, Aldi is offering food shoppers a break this year to celebrate Thanksgiving. The grocery chain is introducing a promotion named the Thanksgiving Price Rewind, which will match food prices from 2019 (a.k.a. before COVID-19 hit U.S. shores).

For Aldi customers, this means discounts of up to 30% on their favorite holiday essentials like cornbread stuffing, rolls, apple pie, and even wine. To spot Aldi's holiday deals, shoppers simply have to look for the Thanksgiving Price Rewind sticker; The in-store Thanksgiving promotion will begin on November 2 and last until November 29.

This discount will allow many families to afford some of their favorite holiday foods this year without breaking the bank (or, as Aldi suggests in its press release, to invite a few more friends or family members to the celebration), but Aldi isn't the only grocery chain offering a discount for the 2022 holiday season.

Walmart has also committed to lowering prices for the 2022 holiday season. In a press release sent to Tasting Table, Walmart U.S. executive vice president, John Laney, announced that this year the chain will be price-matching 2021's Thanksgiving meal, starting now through December 26. It may not be pre-pandemic prices like Aldi is offering, but the fact that this deal lasts until the end of the year means Walmart shoppers can save money through the entire holiday season, not just for Thanksgiving.

The Thanksgiving staples Walmart is offering lower prices on include turkey, ham, and stuffing, as well as premade items like mac and cheese, pumpkin pie, mashed potatoes, and cranberry sauce (via Walmart).

So if you're one of the many shoppers in the U.S. concerned about food inflation going into the 2022 holiday season, you can look to Aldi and Walmart for lower prices on Thanksgiving staples. If you need more ways to save money on food during the holidays, CNBC recommends scrutinizing sales, planning out your meals carefully, buying in bulk, and using an app or credit card that offers cash-back for money spent on groceries.