Nov 8 – As Thanksgiving draws near, major grocery chains like Walmart, Target, and Aldi are boasting about slashing the cost of traditional holiday meals. Their campaigns highlight budget-friendly feast options that seem lighter on the wallet than last year’s offerings. Yet behind the bold promises and cheerful advertisements lies a more complicated story—these savings often come with fewer items on the table and a growing reliance on store-brand alternatives instead of national labels.
With food prices still rising and inflation continuing to pinch household budgets, the big retailers are adapting their strategies to appeal to cost-conscious consumers. What’s interesting is that these corporate moves mirror what many shoppers are already doing: trading down to private labels, skipping certain ingredients, and stretching their budgets to make Thanksgiving work.
Retailers Trim the Feast to Cut the Cost
This year, Walmart rolled out a revamped Thanksgiving meal kit that leans heavily on its own Great Value private-label products. Out of 15 items included in the new kit, nine are Great Value brand—an increase in proportion from last year’s kit, which featured nine store-brand products out of 21. This shift marks a clear signal that the company is prioritizing affordability through its own brand lineup rather than national names.
In order to keep prices down, Walmart made several changes to its selection. The 2025 kit excludes onions, celery, and broth—items that were previously part of the traditional basket. Instead, shoppers will find substitutes like a private-label stuffing mix. The turkey, however, got an upgrade to the more recognizable Butterball brand, priced at 96 cents per pound, compared with last year’s Honeysuckle White bird that sold for 88 cents per pound.
According to Walmart’s figures, the full meal now costs under $40 and serves ten people. That’s notably cheaper than last year’s estimated $56 for a meal serving eight. Yet the total number of included items has dropped from 29 to 22, suggesting that the lower cost is being achieved not just through cheaper ingredients, but also through trimming the basket itself.
These adjustments reflect a broader trend in the grocery industry—shoppers want to save, and retailers are working to make that possible, even if it means offering slightly less. While Walmart declined to provide further comment on the shift, it’s clear that the company is betting on volume sales driven by affordability rather than lavish spreads.
Private Labels Dominate as Inflation Bites
The Thanksgiving basket may seem like a small piece of the puzzle, but it reveals a lot about how Americans are shopping in 2025. A recent survey found that 58% of consumers remain deeply worried about food price inflation, with nearly one-third saying they plan to choose store brands whenever possible. This sentiment is reinforced by ongoing economic pressure—government data showed food prices up 2.7% in September from the previous year.
Adding to the strain, consumer sentiment has slipped to its lowest point in over three years, and delays in federal food assistance payments have made grocery shopping even more challenging for low-income families. For many, even small savings on staples like potatoes, green beans, or stuffing can make a difference.
Stew Leonard Jr., CEO of the family-owned grocery chain Stew Leonard’s, noted that shoppers frequently ask for advice on cutting costs. His recommendation is simple: explore private labels. These store-brand options, often produced under contract by major manufacturers, can cost significantly less while offering comparable quality to well-known national names.
Aldi, a grocery chain built around private labels, has also revamped its holiday basket. This year’s offering serves ten people for around $40—down from $47 last year. The company achieved the reduction by swapping Butterball turkeys for more affordable Jennie-O birds, saving roughly 30 cents per pound. For customers who still prefer Butterball, Aldi says the brand remains available separately at 97 cents per pound.
The chain also introduced subtle adjustments to other items, including replacing a single pie crust with a frozen two-pack and lowering prices on carrots, potatoes, and onions. A review of the new basket compared with last year’s shopping guide from a well-known coupon and deal website shows the savings come largely from smarter substitutions and bulk efficiencies rather than cutting corners on the overall meal quality.
Target followed a similar path. The retailer’s seven-item Thanksgiving meal kit for 2025 swapped out national brands for its own private labels in key products such as bread and frozen corn. Last year’s kit featured Del Monte green beans and Campbell’s Cream of Mushroom Soup, both of which have been replaced by Target’s own brands. Despite the changes, the kit’s cost remains steady—under $20 for a meal serving four, the same as last year.
A Target spokesperson explained that product availability and shopper preferences can influence the meal kit’s composition each year. Many customers tend to purchase these kits closer to the holiday, often within the week before Thanksgiving, when sales peak.
Holiday Cheer with a Budget Reality
While the advertised discounts on Thanksgiving meal kits sound encouraging, they also highlight a sobering reality. Retailers are not just lowering prices; they’re reshaping the holiday menu itself. Consumers are getting leaner baskets that rely heavily on in-house brands, fewer premium ingredients, and a smaller selection overall.
Still, for families struggling to balance grocery bills, these pared-down feasts may offer a much-needed reprieve. The focus on private-label goods could even signal a long-term shift in American shopping behavior—where brand loyalty takes a back seat to affordability.