Thanksgiving grocery prices in El Paso
EL PASO, Texas (KVIA)-- As Thanksgiving approaches, some shoppers said they felt a slight break at the grocery store this year — at least on certain staples.
“I feel like maybe things are a tad less expensive,” one shopper said.
Another shopper noted prices seemed steady overall, though packaging changes were noticeable. “I thought it was about the same from last year. Really wasn’t too bad,” he said. “A few of the things come in smaller packaging. You can tell I noticed that yesterday with my wife. But the turkeys, everything else, it’s all about the same. You're buying them by the pound.”
The American Farm Bureau Federation’s annual Thanksgiving dinner survey found that some key holiday items including turkey, stuffing mix and dinner rolls are down in price from last year. But other staples such as sweet potatoes, veggie trays and whipping cream are expected to cost more.
Gordan Merfa, manager at Vista Market on Doniphan, said the best strategy is to shop the sales.
“We have a lot of items that are specifically for Thanksgiving,” Murfa said. “Turkey, stuffing. And then we have some produce items, baked goods for baking, marshmallows, pineapple, evaporated milk.”
Merfa said the night before Thanksgiving and Thanksgiving Day itself are typically the store’s busiest times. His advice for last-minute shoppers: “Come early, as early as you can.”
Most shoppers said they’ve developed a system to navigate holiday grocery trips.
“We have our stores of preference, and we also have our staple list,” one shopper said. “So we just go for what is on our list.”
