Turkey prices down nearly 20% compared to recent years
WACONIA, Minn. — We're just a few weeks away from Thanksgiving and when you go to buy your turkey, you may notice that prices have dropped significantly at many stores, including Walmart and Target.
At a time when grocery prices remain high, both retailers have cut turkey prices by nearly 20% this year.
"I don't want to wait until the last minute. They'll be gone," Judy Jenkins, a shopper, said.
Even with Thanksgiving still weeks away, customers at Mackenthun's in Waconia can't resist a good deal.
"Just a turkey today. I like to buy them early," Don Talbert, a shopper, said. "The prices are down, and I've been following that, and I appreciate it."
It's a Thanksgiving treat weeks before the holiday. No matter the brand, the bird is a cheaper buy. Retail turkeys at Mackenthun's are down 40-70 cents per pound compared to two years ago.
Butterball is one of the better deals. Their turkeys were $2.69 a pound last year. This year they've dropped to $1.99 a pound.
"Mid-October is when we started getting all of our turkeys in," Cole Sik, store manager, said.
Sik believes prices have gone down because supply chains have recovered from the pandemic. With the bird flu not having the same impact on Minnesota turkeys as in recent years, supply is high.
"We've had our turkeys out for a week and a half already, and we've been refilling daily," Sik said.
He added that retailers don't typically make a lot of money off these sales, but turkeys are the ticket to getting customers into the store. Still, they may find prices high for other holiday fixings like cranberry sauce. A can of that jumped from $1.49 a year ago to $1.99 this year.
"I think every retailer is trying to pull in that customer and at least offer a turkey at a good price," Sik said.
Mackenthun's said their fresh turkeys will arrive a week before Thanksgiving, and they expect prices to be down for those as well.