Shoppers are flocking to grocery stores for last-minute Thanksgiving shopping following a rise in grocery prices in recent years, and Turkey Day is no exception to the rule.
Luckily, Northwest Ohioans have a cost-efficient shopping option at local Krogers due to a recent drop in prices compared to recent years.
Since 2019 Thanksgiving meals have risen 20% in cost according to the American Farm Bureau Federation, or AFBF. That price spike lessened by 5% since last year and leveled off in recent months at local Krogers due to a few factors, Corporate Affairs Manager of Kroger Central and Northwest Ohio Mark Bruce said.
“Around Thanksgiving time what we’re trying to do is provide those savings, those coupons on these staple items that we know people want at Thanksgiving,” Bruce said. “That value at a price to allow you to feed ten people for less than $4.85 a person.”
At Northwest Ohio Krogers, the $4.85 Thanksgiving meal cost is lower than the national average being $5.08 per person.
Kroger beat their own prices from last year by a few cents thanks to their ‘brand items,’ Bruce said.
When you buy brand items with the ‘Kroger’ brand name stamped on top of the packaging, you’re paying for a process completely controlled by the company from the onset to when the product is placed on the shelves- including pricing.
“We are able to work to provide a high-quality product at a lower cost for customers because we control the process,” Bruce said.
Even with overall price increases in the past five years, traditional, comfort foods never go out of style on the shelves, the Kroger corporate affairs manager said.
“There’s a feeling that you really go towards comfort and memory and what you want, especially at the holidays,” Bruce said. “Your green bean casseroles, your sweet potatoes, your rolls, your pumpkin pie, turkey and stuffing. Things that people are so used to and have had for most of their lives. They’re going to find a way to include those on their table.”
And they do.
Turkeys count for 43% of Thanksgiving dinner cost this year. If you want to cut down on that big purchase, try going vegetarian for the fall holiday and slice into a “Tofurky”.
For one Toledo resident Brian Carroll, Thanksgiving is about honoring old traditions and making new ones. Even though he’s bringing homemade baked mac and cheese to the dinner table, he’s most eager to carve into a childhood favorite- like many other Americans.
“I like the turkey. I like the flavor. It’s very traditional. Brings back a lot of great memories,” Carroll said.
Usually he brings pies or mashed potatoes to the table but this year he decided to try out a budget-friendly Food Network recipe.
“Groceries are generally much more expensive across the board. I just had to suck it up and buy it anyways,” Carroll said.
The ingredients consisted of four cheeses and fresh dairy products. That didn’t stop the amateur chef from spending 90 minutes cooking up a storm.
The finished result was a cheesy bowl of buttery noodles with a crisp finish. What was an original test-run recipe is now a strong contender for the best dish at his family’s Thanksgiving dinner, according to Carroll.
In Ohio Thanksgiving remains more about connection than cost, as Kroger implements their annual Zero Hunger Zero Waste campaign this winter.
“All the money raised locally through this million meals campaign will get donated back to local hunger relief organizations,” Bruce said. “It’s a real easy way for customers when they’re shopping for Thanksgiving. It’s a real small donation, right? But if every customer that walks through the door rounds up to that nearest dollar, the donations can really add up and can really make a big difference.”
To learn more about donations visit feedingamerica.org.
