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Thanksgiving dinners could cost less this season

As Thanksgiving approaches, your to-do list most likely includes a trip to this grocery store— and this year, that turkey dinner may cost less.

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — With Thanksgiving dinner coming up, it's likely on many people’s to-do list to make a stop at the grocery store.

As people head to their favorite stores, it’s clear that inflation has improved, but is still impacting just about everything these days.

However, there is good news on the horizon! In the Natural State, shoppers should be able to find some lower prices on a few Thanksgiving favorites!

“It's a great thing especially when we're still seeing inflation across the board and higher than it should be,” said Steve Goode, Arkansas Grocers and Retail Merchants Association President. 

When it comes to Arkansans' wallets, this year there's plenty to be thankful for. 

“A couple of surveys have come out within the last week, one from the USDA and one from Farm Bureau,” Goode explained. “Both of them show a 4.5% decline in the cost of a Thanksgiving meal from this year to last year.”

According to Goode, the biggest decline in price surprisingly comes from what many consider the main attraction— the turkey.

“Certainly, protein items are down, dairy items are down,” Goode added. “Nationally, the price is down 10% or better, but in Arkansas, it's probably down even more than that. I’ve seen a lot of .99 cents and .97 cents a pound turkey.”

Last year, those numbers were around $1.29 to $1.39 a pound, which Goode credited to better luck on farms. 

“A couple of avian flu outbreaks last year and we've been blessed in the trade this year that that has not happened again,” Goode said. 

While the cost of some items has gone down, other classics have still gone up.

Things like canned cranberries and canned pumpkin have risen. Dinner rolls have also seen a 3% to 5% increase, depending on where they’re bought. However, Goode said for the most part it's good news for Arkansans.

“Overall produce is probably up a little bit, but overall, for the consumer, they’ll have a cheaper Thanksgiving than they did a year ago,” Goode said. 

He added not to be afraid to shop around, but most importantly enjoy the holiday and the shopping, with loved ones. 

“Make sure that you don't overfill your fryer with oil,” Goode said. “It's a big holiday for us as groceries and as retailers, but we just want our consumers to enjoy time with the family and be safe."

   

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