2 major Triangle grocery stores announce price cuts. How good are the deals?
Groceries continue to be a major expense for many families across the U.S. and in North Carolina.
Food prices increased 0.2% in June, according to the latest Consumer Price Index release. That’s national data, but North Carolinians are feeling the strain of high costs.
In a June Catawba College-YouGov survey, 58% of North Carolina respondents described groceries as “unaffordable.”
But recently, two of the biggest grocers in the Triangle — Walmart and Sam’s Club — announced price cuts on food and drinks this summer.
To find out how good the deals are, The News & Observer compared the new, lower prices to those at Aldi, Lidl, Food Lion and Target.
Full story: 2 popular Triangle grocery stores are slashing prices. How do the costs compare?
Here’s what we found:
- Walmart’s “rollbacks” beat other stores’ prices on almost every name-brand item checked, including 24-count packages of Coca-Cola and Pepsi and an 18-count Frito-Lay variety pack.
- Lidl matched Walmart’s price on one item: an 8-ounce bag of Lay’s Classic potato chips, priced at $2.50 at both stores.
- Aldi had the lowest price on 48-ounce tubs of store-brand ice creams. Its Sundae Shoppe costs $2.49 — 1 cent less than Walmart’s Great Value version.
- Sam’s Club offered chicken wings at $2 per pound, the cheapest of the stores checked. Food Lion’s wings ran $3.99 per pound, nearly double.
- Prices were recorded in person at Raleigh stores on July 10 and do not include coupons or loyalty program discounts. Costs may vary by store location.
