Shoppers Take Advantage of Bargains to Save on Holiday Turkey

The price of turkey this year is down for consumers despite a hike in wholesale prices.

Thanksgiving turkey bargains at a grocery store in Texas on Nov. 20, 2025. Darlene McCormick Sanchez/The Epoch Times

A trussed bird, the centerpiece of many family Thanksgiving gatherings, costs less than expected at the grocery store this year, despite persistently high wholesale prices.

As debates on social media continue over whether Thanksgiving prices are higher or lower this year, shoppers in several states told The Epoch Times that they had found significant deals on turkey, a trend also reflected in a recent national survey showing a drop in retail prices.

This year’s 40th annual Thanksgiving dinner survey by the American Farm Bureau Federation showed that the average cost of a 16-pound frozen turkey is $21.50, or $1.34 per pound. In 2024, the survey showed that the same turkey cost more at $1.60 per pound.

These reductions result from the retail marketing tactic known as a “loss-leader,” in which stores sell popular items such as Thanksgiving turkeys at a loss to attract more customers and boost overall sales. Stores often impose limits or conditions on promotions.

Despite the lower retail grocery store prices, wholesale turkey prices have increased significantly, in part because of bird flu and other factors.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the average wholesale price for a frozen whole turkey hen rose from 94 cents per pound in 2024 to a projected $1.35 per pound this year, mainly as a result of bird flu.

Shoppers took advantage of bargains offered by national chains such as Walmart and Aldi, with turkey and sides for 10 people selling for about $40.

Shopping Coast-to-Coast

In Florida, shoppers found good prices on both frozen and cooked turkey.

At the Publix grocery chain in northern Florida, frozen turkeys were going for 49 cents a pound, with a limit of two. The store also offered a buy-one-get-one-free offer on a frozen turkey breast with gravy, priced at $4.59 per pound.

In a Facebook post from The Epoch Times seeking comment from Florida shoppers, several responded.

Michelle Childers got a deal on a cooked turkey dinner with four sides for $109 at the Fresh Market chain. The spread will feed  eight to 10 people, she said.

“I was surprised at the low cost, honestly,” she said. “The deals are out there; you just have to shop around.”

Commenter Don Dickaut said: “Turkeys are on sale everywhere at tremendous value. Making Thanksgiving political is actually the opposite of giving thanks. I guess some folks would rather be martyrs than buy a turkey!”

In rural East Texas, shoppers said prices were similar to last year’s.

Tom Thumb, a Texas grocery chain, advertised frozen turkeys over 12 pounds at 55 cents per pound with a $35 minimum purchase. Another Texas chain, H-E-B, offered a promotion for a free frozen turkey up to 12 pounds if customers purchased a spiral ham. Both limited the sale to one per customer.

Turkeys available at bargain prices the week before Thanksgiving in Florida grocery stores, on Nov. 21, 2025. Courtesy of Tucker Holt

Commenter Holley Nemer told The Epoch Times that she took advantage of the H-E-B promotion. She said she bought a 10-pound spiral ham for about $27 to get a free turkey. But she noted that other prices had crept up.

“I think it’s evened out,” she said, explaining that even if the turkey is cheaper, other staples such as milk now cost a bit more.

Commenter David Trantham said he used to take his family out to eat at Cracker Barrel on Thanksgiving but that feeding a family of five there had become too expensive.

He said he was thankful that his daughter got a free ham this year, so they will be cooking at home.

While the cost of living has gone down somewhat, Trantham said prices hadn’t fallen as much as he had expected under President Donald Trump.

“Everything’s too high,” he said.

In California, which has a high demand for organic food and led the way in limiting antibiotics in livestock, California Fresh Market is advertising Mary’s Fresh antibiotic-free whole turkey at $3.28 per pound.

Kelly Hacker of Orinda, California, told The Epoch Times that prices for turkey and trimmings are about the same as in 2024.

However, Hacker said she is undeterred by prices because Thanksgiving at her house is a celebration that brings relatives together from across the state.

“So it’s a really big, big thing for me and the family,” she said.

Tanya Elcock of Orange, California, said in a text that she hasn’t shopped for the family feast yet but isn’t worried about the cost this year.

“I trust the president’s policies will begin to bring down costs for daily living very soon,” she said. “Trump had a lot of damage to fix that was caused by Biden’s disastrous presidency.”

Turkey Talk

Indeed, talking turkey remains a favorite pastime in Washington, with politicians squabbling over whether Thanksgiving is cheaper or more expensive, depending on which side of the aisle they’re on.

On Nov. 20, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt touted the Farm Bureau survey showing that the price of a 16-pound frozen bird was down by 16 percent as proof of Trump’s efforts to bring down costs.

Meanwhile, a Facebook post by the Democrats stated that “under Trump, Americans are gearing up for the most expensive Thanksgiving season in history.”

​The Farm Bureau survey showed that the average cost of a Thanksgiving dinner for 10 was $55.18. Regional averages varied, with the highest in the West, at $61.75, and the lowest in the South, at $50.01.

According to the Farm Bureau survey, the price of a Thanksgiving meal for 10 has decreased over the past three years. This year’s average cost was $55.18, down from a high of $64.05 in 2022, when inflation soared. However, it’s still more expensive than in 2020, when the meal cost $46.90.

Nanette Holt and Brad Jones contributed to this report.