Aldi, Walmart Rolling Back Prices on Thanksgiving Staples as Inflation Surges

A split photo of Aldi on the left and Walmart on the right.
Aldi is offering traditional Thanksgiving foods at 2019 prices. This promotion will continue until Nov. 29. Walmart has its own rollback discounts from now until Dec. 26, offering the same prices as last year. Matt Rourke/AP Images

Budgeting for Thanksgiving dinner later this month? You might want to shop at Aldi. From prosciutto to potatoes to pumpkin pie, Aldi is offering all its traditional Thanksgiving foods at 2019 prices.

According to the grocery store, that’s up to a 30% discount on your Thanksgiving favorites.

The promotion runs now through Nov. 29, meaning you can get your discount food items for an early Friendsgiving and a traditional Thanksgiving dinner on Nov. 24. If you’ve got the pantry space, you can even head back to Aldi after Thanksgiving to stock up on Christmas dinner staples before the promotion ends.

The Rising Cost of Thanksgiving

Why is Aldi’s price drop such a big deal? With food prices at an all-time high, market research firm IRi estimates that your Thanksgiving meal will cost 13.5% more than it did in 2021, and 2021’s Thanksgiving prices were already up 14% from 2020.

This year, high inflation and continued market uncertainty mean families may be tightening their belts — right at a time when, depending on how much pumpkin pie we eat, we’re usually loosening them.

How to Get the Thanksgiving Discount at Aldi

Aldi’s press release didn’t list out every single food item that would qualify for the Thanksgiving discount, but some of the select dishes mentioned include brie cheese, prosciutto, cornbread stuffing, mini quiches, rolls, macarons, apple pie and wine.

Yep, Aldi’s even got discounted wine on the menu!

When you’re shopping in store or online, just look for the red Thanksgiving Price Rewind label to find the discounted food items.

Walmart, too? Bring on the Thanksgiving Price Wars

Not to be outdone, Walmart, which is the largest food retailer in the US, also announced a Thanksgiving price drop.

Walmart’s promotion is a little different from Aldi’s: While Aldi is promising 2019 prices, Walmart is advertising “This Year’s Thanksgiving at Last Year’s Meal Price.”

Still, that means major discounts on Thanksgiving hallmarks like ham and turkey. In fact, Walmart turkeys start at less than $1 per pound.

Walmart’s promotion lasts nearly a whole month longer than Aldi’s. It’s good through Dec. 26, so head to Walmart for Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner.

Timothy Moore covers bank accounts, loans, insurance and credit cards for The Penny Hoarder from his home base in Cincinnati. He has worked in editing and graphic design for a marketing agency, a global research firm and a major print publication. He covers a variety of other topics, including travel, taxes, budgeting, pet care and automotive. He’s worked in the field since 2012 with publications such as The Penny Hoarder, Insider, Sound Dollar, Chime, SoFi, Debt.com, Ladders, WDW Magazine and Glassdoor.