Overview
- Walmart’s 2025 promo prices a meal for 10 at under $40 versus roughly $56 for eight last year, reflecting fewer or different items, heavier use of store brands, and a turkey priced near 96–97 cents per pound.
- Associated Press and Lead Stories report that the touted 25% decline is not an apples‑to‑apples comparison, even as President Trump and a White House post highlighted Walmart’s claim.
- Wells Fargo estimates a typical 10‑person Thanksgiving meal costs about 2%–3% less than 2024, with retail turkey down 3.7%, name‑brand frozen vegetables down 15%, private‑label dinner rolls down 22%, and small declines for stuffing, gravy and cranberries.
- Overall grocery prices rose 2.7% year over year in September, driven by items like beef and coffee that are not central to a traditional Thanksgiving menu.
- Other chains are pushing lower‑priced kits through substitutions: Target’s four‑person bundle is under $20 and Aldi’s offering is about $40 for 10, with both leaning more on private labels and adjusted item lineups.