Thanksgiving Price Battles Heat Up

Meijer is offering turkey for $0.49 per pound or lower in the run-up to Thanksgiving.

How low can they go? As Thanksgiving gets closer, more grocers are touting low prices to take their share of the consumer food dollar at a time when cost is still top of mind.

This week, Michigan-based Meijer came out with its Thanksgiving meal deals, offering own brand frozen turkeys for $0.49 a pound or lower. Meijer is promoting a holiday meal for four to six people for around $37. "As a family-owned company, we understand the importance of holiday gatherings like Thanksgiving," said Jenn Martin, VP of fresh at Meijer. "We're working hard to offer low prices on Thanksgiving staples so our customers can focus on enjoying a special meal with family and friends without having to worry about the cost."

Several other grocers have gone low for this year’s feast:

Lidl’s meal for 10 breaks down to $4.50 per person and includes turkey, stuffing, gravy rolls and mac ‘n cheese. According to the retailer, it’s the lowest price for that number of Thanksgiving-related products.
ALDI’s Turkey Day meal is priced under $47 for a gathering of 10 people and is the retailer’s cheapest Thanksgiving basket in five years. For that price, shoppers can pick up a Butterball turkey, spices, gravy, rolls, stuffing and mac ‘n cheese, and ingredients for cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, sweet potato casserole, green bean casserole and pumpkin pie.

Tops Markets LLC rolled out a “Free Thanksgiving” initiative that includes a $10 coupon at checkout with a purchase of $100 or more in one shopping order. That offer, for the week of Nov. 10-16, can be redeemed the following week for a free Thanksgiving turkey or other dinner items of their choice. “At Tops, shoppers will enjoy a stress-free shopping experience on the brands they love the most at the best deals in town,” said Tops President Ron Ferri. “Tops has low prices on everything you need along with tips from real butchers so you can enjoy the holiday with your family without sweating the bottom line or your meal preparations." With low prices on Thanksgiving staples, customers can bring home an entire holiday meal for $21.80 with the $10 coupon applied.
Grocery Outlet is sharing its own turkey promotion, selling a whole 14- to 16-lb. Jennie-O turkey for $3.99 when shoppers spend $35.
In addition to its Thanksgiving meal packages that start at $30 for six people, Hy-Vee added a new gluten-free package this year for $50.

According to Chicago-based market insights from Circana, Thanksgiving is the second largest food holiday of the year. In a recent survey of consumers, Circana found that 34% expect to pay more for Thanksgiving groceries but will buy the same amount this year.

Inflation, while easing, remains elevated and a key purchase driver. The latest University of Michigan's Consumer Sentiment Index showed that consumers see less near-term inflation risk but foresee a higher-priced environment than they did before the pandemic five years ago. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics will release the Consumer Price Index data from October on Nov. 13.

Privately owned, family-operated Meijer has 500-plus supercenters, grocery stores, neighborhood markets and express locations throughout the Midwest. The Grand Rapids, Mich.-based company employs more than 70,000 associates and is No. 25 on The PG 100, Progressive Grocer’s 2024 list of the top food and consumables retailers in North America. Lidl is No. 91 on the PG, while ALDI is No. 28, Grocery Outlet is No. 66 and Tops' parent company Northeast Grocery, Inc. is No. 49.