HARTFORD, Conn. — Thanksgiving is less than two weeks away and many are hitting the stores to buy the ingredients needed to make the November feast.
Quinnipiac University International Business Professor Mohammad Elahee said shoppers should anticipate paying more than last year, but finding items won't be as difficult as it was in 2021 or 2020.
"Thanksgiving is always hectic no matter what the economic conditions are," he said. "The shelves are full, so that’s not a problem, but the problem is the sticker price shock."
Supply chain issues resorted in many empty shelves and limited inventory during the last two holiday seasons. Elahee says those have mostly worked themselves out.
Since the price of almost all goods is up, he thinks people may spend less. He said consumers spent more in the last two years because they had the money saved up during the pandemic to do so.
"This year, I think people will still be traveling, but in terms of spending, I think they’ll be spending less money on groceries. Maybe they’ll be eating a little less," he said.
The professor said there is also a shortage of workers which may add to wait times in stores. West Hartford's Kristen Von Paternos says she's preparing to pay more to make the three desserts she has planned this holiday.
"What I’m probably anticipating is, it is going to be jacked up a little bit this year as opposed to other years," she said. "Now I’m finding everything that I need whereas a couple years ago I mean I was running to two, three different grocery stores."
Elahee says, while prices are up, shop around for the best deals. For example, Stop & Shop has Butterball frozen turkeys on sale this week for $1.49 a pound. Big Y has theirs marked for $1.69.
There is the possibility some stores offer last-minute deals the days before Thanksgiving, he said, which will depend on demand in the coming days. He doesn't encourage people to wait for deals, but instead purchase as soon as possible.
Tony Black is a multi-media journalist at FOX61 News. He can be reached at tblack@fox61.com. Follow him on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
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