Walmart and other grocers are already discounting Thanksgiving turkeys. Wait, isn’t there a turkey shortage? And what about inflation?
While an outbreak of avian influenza has lowered this year’s supply, grocers made sure they got their shipments so you can cook your traditional family dinner.
Walmart said Thursday that it has priced all the Thanksgiving fixings at last year’s prices, including turkey at less than a dollar per pound. This week, the national average prices for whole turkeys, fresh and frozen, are $1.47 and $1.30 per pound, according to the USDA.
Aldi has Butterball whole frozen turkeys at $1.07 a pound, according to its Wednesday grocery circular, with a limit of 2.
H-E-B is giving away Riverside turkeys of up to 12 pounds with the purchase of an H-E-B spiral sliced ham. There’s a limit of 1 per person.
Grocers traditionally put their weekly specials out on Wednesdays. Kroger, Albertson, Tom Thumb and others offer turkey specials annually, but it’s a little early to be selling turkeys that will be eaten on Nov. 24.
Albertsons and Tom Thumb spokeswoman Christy Lara said the retailers have “sufficient supply to meet the anticipated demand.”
“No shortages are expected at this time,” Kroger spokesman John Votava said. “However, it is recommended that shoppers not wait until the last minute to purchase their holiday turkey.”
Worries about shortages have caused customers to ask for them earlier this year, said Juan-Carlos Rück, H-E-B executive vice president, North West Food Drug retail division. Rück was at the retailer’s Plano grand opening Wednesday.
John Laney, executive vice president of food for Walmart U.S., said the company has been working with suppliers for months to be sure it had all of the holiday meal essentials such as ham and turkey.
Walmart said its Great Value chicken broth, Heinz jarred turkey gravy, Jiffy corn muffin mix, Ocean Spray cranberry sauce and Stove Top turkey dressing are among the fixings rolled back to last year’s prices.
While inflation is hitting grocery prices particularly hard, major grocers can “invest in their prices,” or chose to make less on some items, to lower prices to customers.
Dallas-Fort Worth grocery prices were up 13.5% in September from a year ago, according to the latest inflation report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Southwest office.
Source : Denton Record Chronicle
