State-Journal.com - Walmart wins Thanksgiving grocery list challenge

Groceries and gas stations will be the big money makers with the approaching Thanksgiving holiday.

Only the Super Bowl rivals Thanksgiving for grocery shoppers for a one-day food event, and Thanksgiving is America’s most heavily traveled holiday.

The American Farm Bureau Federation reports the overall cost of the traditional Thanksgiving meal will be down 4 percent from 2008.

The non-profit federation reports that the average cost of Thanksgiving dinner items for 10 will cost $42.91 this year. Last year it was $44.61, for a 4 percent drop.

Gas prices in Frankfort over the weekend (rounded off to the nearest penny) ranged from a high of $2.54 a gallon to $2.47. Using a Speedway savings card gives a 3 cent per gallon discount. It’s 10 cents with a Kroger card with purchases totaling $100.

The State Journal visited Frankfort’s four local stores this weekend – Bryant’s Pic-Pac, Kroger, Save-A-Lot and Walmart – to compare prices for traditional Thanksgiving items.

The cost of Honeysuckle, Butterball and store brand turkeys varied from 60 cents per pound to $1.49.

For makers of traditional dressing with bagged bread crumbs and chicken broth, the lowest price for 14-ounces of Pepperidge Farm seasoned or corn bread mix was two for $5 at Walmart and Swanson’s 32-ounce broth for $1.49.

The price of a dozen eggs ranged from a high of $1.49 at Save-A-Lot to 93 cents at Walmart.

In most cases, individual store brands were cents cheaper than name brands at most stores and substantially cheaper at Save-A-Lot.

The overall winner was Walmart. It topped the other stores by 20 percent on name brand purchases. Most of the Kroger discounts required its savings card.

While prices may continue to drop a few cents within store specials, most likely they will hold with only 10 days left before the Thanksgiving holiday.

The newspaper’s list for comparison included boxed dressing, green beans, whipped topping, cranberry sauce, rolls, potatoes, onions and celery.

Not all stores carried the name brands, notably Save-A-Lot.

Price differences from your four local grocery stores:

WalMart

Stovetop Stuffing - 78 cents

Del Monte canned green beans (28 oz.) - $1.36

Cool Whip (8 ounce carton) - $1.00

Ocean Spray Cranberry sauce – 88 cents

Sara Lee rolls – $1.78

Potatoes 10 pounds – $2.77

Onions (not bagged) – 88 cents per pound

Celery – $1.36

Pic-Pac

Stovetop Stuffing – $1.99

Del Monte canned green beans – $1.75

Cool Whip (8 ounce carton) – $1.69

Ocean Spray Cranberry sauce – $1.79

Sara Lee rolls – $2.89

Potatoes 10 pounds – $2.99

Onions (not bagged) – 99 cents

Celery – $1.59

Kroger

Stovetop Stuffing – $1.25

Del Monte canned green beans – $1.75

Cool Whip (8 ounce carton) – $1.00

Ocean Spray Cranberry sauce – $1.00

Sara Lee rolls – $2.99

Potatoes 10 pounds – $2.99

Onions (not bagged) – $1.99

Celery – $1.50

Save-A-Lot

Cool Whip (8 ounce carton) – $1.99

Potatoes (8 pounds) – $2.99

Onions (not bagged) – $1.29

Celery – $1.49

10.	Posted by wecanoeky November 17, 2009
	Man, it was a long time ago that I read about the Rubbermaid incident, so I could have details wrong. I do know that Wal-Mart demands certain prices on goods. I do know that American Industry has not been able to sell at the prices demanded because of the wages they pay there employees to manufacture these products. I know that Rubbermaid was once a very strong and well paying American industry. I know that when Wal-Mart demanded those prices Rubbermaid had to let go of tens of thousands of jobs and some plants. Where I may be mistaken is in the sole ownership of Rubbermaid. It may or may not be US owned and I ask forgiveness for that one, my 41 year old mind is not quite as sharp as it once was. They do have there main office still in the US I believe. However, it still remains a fact that countless good paying jobs with benefits are constantly being lost to other countries because American industry has been low balled by Wal-Mart. Rubbermaid is just one of the many that has been affected by this. Industry needs to set the price, not retail. As far as the comment about a force to be reckoned with, Hitler was a force to be reckoned with. (Hitler makes Wal-Mart look quite lovely just to keep this in perspective) I am just saying take a look at how Wal-Mart has achieved it's monopoly in the retail business. Take a look at how they provide low prices. Think about what affects this will have on America if it continues. If you are ok with what they have done and all that matters most is low prices then ok. If you value other things, it really is worth a look.

6.	Posted by gimmeabreak November 16, 2009
	Walmart does provide jobs. I will agree with you on that. Do you know any one that works there? I know a few. There jobs pay very little above min. wage. If their employees are parents, they get food stamps, section 8 and other federal help. They have the WORSE insurance you can have. They have cut jobs over the last 5 years and require the one they do keep to double, triple or more on the job duties. So, if you go to Walmart and can't find any one to help you, you know why. Walmart trys to make the most profit they can and the don't care who's neck they have to cut. Every one has to admit since the founder died and left it to his children it has changed greatly. I remember when Walmart use to carry only USA made product. But that is when Sam Walton ran the company. Back then, they would pay a fair price for the products also. Not so now. I would love to not to go to Walmart anymore but I can't. I am a single parent and need to save every penny I can. So, as bad as I hate Walmart and what they do to their employees and America I will continue to shop there because I can't afford to go else where.