Here's what you can expect to pay for your Thanksgiving turkey this year

Susan Selasky, Detroit Free Press
·3 min read
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Thanksgiving turkey
Thanksgiving turkey

If you plan to cook a Thanksgiving feast at home, there's good news on the cost of turkeys this year.

After more than a year of record-high inflation driving up the prices of so many food items, cooks planning a big Thanksgiving meal may see some relief in turkey prices.

Local grocery stores are advertising prices for some turkeys as low as 49 cents per pound.

More: Here's where to order Thanksgiving meals to-go in metro Detroit

Midwest grocery giant Meijer, based in Grand Rapids, announced recently customers can buy the grocer's brand of frozen turkeys for 49 cents per pound with an automatic mPerks coupon applied at checkout.

Last year, according to Meijer, turkeys were 55 cents a pound.

More: Don't want to cook for Thanksgiving? Many metro Detroit restaurants have your meal covered

At 49 cents per pound, that puts the turkey prices at about the same cost from the 1930s, Josh Potts, Meijer poultry buyer, said in a news release. Meijer expects to sell, they said, 1 million turkeys this holiday season.

“We know turkey prices are up significantly in a lot of places this year, but our highest priority is bringing value and quality to our customers this holiday season,” Potts said. “We’re working hard to keep prices low for our customers so they can enjoy this holiday staple with their family and friends.”

  • Meijer also released pricing on a selection of fresh and frozen turkeys:

  • Meijer brand frozen turkey at 59 cents per pound (49 cents per pound w/new mPerks coupon)

  • Honeysuckle White brand frozen turkey at $1.09 per pound

  • Meijer brand fresh turkey at $1.19 per pound

  • Butterball frozen turkey at $1.29 per pound

  • Butterball fresh turkey at $1.99 per pound

  • True Goodness by Meijer brand frozen antibiotic-free turkey at $2.19 per pound

There’s a limit of one Meijer brand turkey per customer.

Area Kroger stores are also selling its brand of frozen turkeys for 49 cents a pound. To get a turkey for 49 cents a pound at Kroger stores, you will need to download a digital coupon.

Walmart announced recently that average prices for a market basket of select items will be lower than last year's rollback on pricing.

A basket of 30 items used to make a Thanksgiving from scratch to serve 8 to 10 people averages $77 or about $8.50 per person. Items include a 16-pound turkey, spiral-cut ham, fresh and canned vegetables, gravy, French's fried onions, and other common items for Thanksgiving.

A basket of 21 convenience items to make the meal will average $70 or $7.75 per person.

At area Aldi stores, customers can expect to spend less on about 70 items.

Aldi's "The More the Merrier" price cuts means people can seat more at the table, according to a news release.

Customers can expect price reductions on seasonal items such as gravy, potatoes, green beans, cranberries, and pumpkin pie. Also reduced are pantry staples like butter and flour.

The savings, as much as 50% on some items, will run through the holiday season.

“With inflation still looming, we're providing shoppers extra relief to make the holidays a time for celebration, not stress," Aldi president David Rinaldo said in a news release. "What’s served on the Thanksgiving table is just as important as who’s sitting around it, so ALDI is delivering big savings on key items so there’s always room for more guests.”

A recent report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) revealed wholesale prices of frozen are on the decline.

Prices for turkeys for the holidays were $1.25 per pound in September or down 43 cents from a year ago. That's the lowest monthly average price, the USDA said, since July 2021.

Most of last year's price hikes were due to the outbreak of avian influenza, which caused turkey production to fall 6%, the USDA said. This year, production has recovered and since April 2023 it has been above last year's.

Contact Detroit Free Press food and restaurant writer Susan Selasky and send food and restaurant news and tips to: sselasky@freepress.com. Follow @SusanMariecooks on Twitter. Subscribe to the Free Press.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Meijer prices its frozen turkeys at 49 cents a pound this year