With Turkey Prices Up 40%, These Retailers Offer $4 Thanksgiving Meals

Grocery retailers are already rolling out Thanksgiving dinner shopping lists for traditional feasts for as little as $4 a person as turkey prices soar.

Overall economic factors and disease challenges have driven wholesale turkey prices up about 40 percent from last year, according to an analysis from the American Farm Bureau Federation’s Market Intel series.

More than 18 million turkeys have been destroyed since 2022 due to avian flu outbreaks, which have picked up again during the fall waterfowl migration. In the Upper Midwest, about 600,000 turkeys were destroyed in September.

Although prices are 40 percent higher than last year, they’re 32 percent lower than they were in 2022, according to the Farm Bureau. Turkey prices soared that year due to a severe bird flu outbreak, but also because of inflation and higher feed and operating costs.

Will There Be Enough Turkeys?

Not only are diseases devastating flocks, but poultry farmers also face broader economic challenges affecting the agricultural economy, such as rising supply costs and trade disputes, Farm Bureau economist Bernt Nelson said in a news release.

“These production challenges shouldn’t have any impact on consumers’ ability to get turkey, but they may translate to higher retail prices this holiday season,” Nelson said.

Turkey production has been steadily declining for the past 30 years, but demand has ticked down only slightly, leading to tighter supplies and higher prices for live birds.

Despite higher costs, turkey remains “one of the most affordable sources of protein,” Farm Bureau President Zippy Duvall said in the news release.

Several factors have contributed to the increase in food prices, mirroring the general rise in costs. These included inflation, unpredictable weather, tariffs on imported produce, and labor shortages, exacerbated by ongoing efforts nationwide to deport undocumented individuals.

Retailers Out Early With Deals

Some retailers have already announced affordable Thanksgiving dinner packages with turkey in the starring role.

Aldi’s deal isn’t an all-in-one Thanksgiving meal package, but a $40 shopping list of 21 ingredients needed to whip up a holiday feast for 10, including a 14-pound turkey. The cost is $7 less than last year’s Aldi Turkey Day deal, according to a news release.

Walmart is offering a similar deal with a 20-ingredient shopping list for a meal for 10 that comes in at just under $4 a person, the lowest price since the retailer launched the program in 2022. The basket includes a Butterball turkey for 97 cents a pound, its lowest price since 2019.

BJ’s Wholesale Club is giving away a Butterball turkey to members who spend $150 or more on Thanksgiving fixings.

Costco is taking preorders for a gourmet turkey dinner that serves eight, coming in at around $25 a plate. Members can claim the discount when ordering online.

More retailers are expected to announce affordable Thanksgiving meal baskets in the coming weeks.

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