Target, Walmart and ALDI have announced they’re offering inflation-proof Thanksgiving meal prices for 2023. What exactly does that mean? And are the discounts really that impressive? Here’s what to know.
Why Retailers Are Offering Anti-Inflation Pricing on Thanksgiving Meals
What retailers are doing, essentially, is offering limited-time discounts on specific Thanksgiving food staples so that prices aren’t higher than they were pre-inflation on those same items.
That’s definitely going to capture shoppers’ attention. Our Early 2023 Holiday Trends survey has already found that shoppers are already tabulating their holiday budgets to account for the fact that they’ve been facing inflation for the better part of two years now. And food inflation has been the most dramatic. Heading into November (aka Thanksgiving month) of 2022, the price of food at home (aka groceries) was up 12% year over year, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Price Index for November 2022.
Inflation is slowing this year, with the prices of food at home up 2.4% over last year, according to the Consumer Price Index for September 2023. But that still means that, after shoppers paid 12% more for Thanksgiving last year, they’re still facing inflation that’s upping the price at checkout.
These retailers’ Thanksgiving promos, therefore, are meant to meet inflation-battered consumers where they’re at with the Thanksgiving meal (and then if they buy other stuff, that’s a win for the retailer).
Target Offering Thanksgiving Meal Under $25
Target is offering a Thanksgiving Meal that serves four online and in stores for under $25. Hosting more? Just double the ingredients. Add everything to your cart here.
Here’s exactly what it contains:
- Good & Gather Premium Basted Young Turkey (Frozen) – 10 lb.
- Good & Gather Russet Potatoes – 5 lb.
- Good & Gather Cut Green Beans – 14.5 oz.
- Campbell’s Cream of Mushroom Soup – 22 oz.
- Ocean Spray Jellied Cranberry Sauce – 14 oz.
- Stove Top Turkey Stuffing Mix – 6 oz.
- Heinz HomeStyle Roasted Turkey Gravy – 12 oz.
Opt to have these items sent straight to you via Target’s Shipt service, which is free if you have a $99 annual Shipt membership or $9.99 for delivery if you don’t (must place an order of at least $35). Or, opt for same-day pickup at a nearby store.
Walmart’s Plans to “Remove Inflation” From Thanksgiving Meals
Starting Nov. 1, Walmart will offer a one-click discounted Thanksgiving meal that lets you add all the sides, mains and fixings from Walmart’s discounted menu to your cart at once, at a price that’s lower than last year’s. You can also opt to add individual items yourself and get the same discounted pricing. Be sure to add our cash back offer on top of that to get an extra percentage back on what you spend.
The discounts will include turkey for under a dollar per pound, according to Walmart’s press release, as well as savings on other Thanksgiving must-haves.
This isn’t the first time Walmart has offered this promo — it also offered inflation-free Thanksgiving meal pricing in 2022.
ALDI’s Thanksgiving Meal Price Cuts
Promo dates: Nov. 1 until the end of the year
“With inflation still looming,” said ALDI’s president in a press release, the chain will offer up to 50% off more than 70 “holiday classics.” The list includes gravy mix for $0.29, 12-oz. fresh cranberries for $0.99, baking brie for $5.19 and pumpkin pie mix for $1.89.
With all these savings combined, you can plan to save 30% on a Thanksgiving meal for 10, excluding the turkey, according to the press release.
Are These Anti-Inflation Thanksgiving Meal Deals Actually Good, or a Gimmick?
As with any sale, you’ll want to do some research and some price comparing.
Overall, assuming you want and need the specific items being discounted (for Thanksgiving cooking or otherwise), yes, the deals are quite good, especially if you’re buying a bunch of the items.
For example, Walmart is promising “under a dollar a pound” for the turkey it’s including in its Thanksgiving promo. Prior to the deal, we were seeing pricing of $1.26 per pound for whole turkeys at Walmart, and supermarkets offering between that and $3 a pound.
Meanwhile, Aldi’s 50% off pricing on select items is compelling. You can get a pie crust for $1.79 (the lowest price we found at any other supermarket was $2.38. And Aldi’s $0.99 price for 12 oz. of fresh cranberries beats the next-lowest price we found at grocery stores and big-box stores ($1.50).
Keep the following in mind before taking advantage of these deals:
- Take stock of how much you actually need. The items included in these discounts are mostly small-ticket items, but they all add up to a big discount on your entire cart. Just make sure you’re not adding items to get the savings on stuff you don’t need. Buying a certain appetizer you don’t even like at 50% off is still wasting money.
- Comparison shop. Perhaps your local grocery store is offering a free turkey deal, as many do. Perhaps Target is offering special coupons to Circle members. Maybe your local grocery store has a great BOGO offer. Take these savings into account.
- Factor in rewards and convenience factors. Walmart offers free curbside grocery pickup, so in addition to saving on the Thanksgiving meal, you are saving time — and that might be worth it, even if another store has a slightly better turkey price. And don’t forget about rewards — perhaps Target is throwing in, say, a $5 gift card if you buy certain grocery items.
So while the savings are very real with these promos, you need to make sure they are saving you money, based on your actual shopping list. Plus remember — any time a retailer offers a promo like this, its goal is to get you in the door so you can add other items to your cart. Make sure you’re aware of your impulse shopping tendencies and make sure you’re doing the price-comparison math on anything else you buy during your inflation-proof Thanksgiving meal shopping trip.
The post Target, Walmart, ALDI Offering “Inflation-Proof” Thanksgiving Meals This Year appeared first on The Real Deal by RetailMeNot.
