ATLANTA — The past few years have been hard on family food budgets, and while inflation has leveled off in the last 12 months, grocery prices remain high.
For Atlanta resident Marsheia Smith, a run to get groceries these days is all about strategy.
“I literally had to stop buying in bulk so much, like I literally have to purchase stuff week by week,” Smith shared with 11Alive.
Jon Horn, meanwhile, notes the price situation seems to be stabilizing though he continues to adjust how he shops.
“I always look for deals,” Horn said. “Things closer to the expiration date if we knew we were going to use it soon.”
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As families continue to feel the pinch, 11Alive News set out to determine which store offers the best prices to help you get the most for your money, taking the same shopping list of eight basic items to four major chains in metro Atlanta, including Walmart, Publix, Kroger and Ingles, which have the largest market share in metro Atlanta, excluding membership-based chains.
At each location, the 11Alive team bought a standard loaf of white bread, one gallon of 2% milk, a pound of bananas, a dozen white eggs, a 40-ounce jar of peanut butter, a pound of 80/20 ground beef, a cheese pizza, and a box of macaroni and cheese. The store brand was purchased where possible.
Ultimately, the team spent the least at Walmart before tax at $21.53, followed by Kroger at $25.12 and Ingles at $27.84. The bill at Publix was the most expensive, totaling $29.93.
While the majority of items were the least expensive at Walmart, there was an advantage to shopping at different stores for certain items. For instance, Kroger ground beef happened to be on sale the day 11Alive shopped, while a cheese pizza at Kroger cost less than the other chains.
Shoppers like Smith echoed that shopping around can indeed potentially pay off.
“It’s kind of crazy,” she said. “I never had to do that before, but you have to watch what you’re spending because it will get costly.”
While 11Alive shopped minus special coupons or special store apps, we followed up with the stores to find their recommended ways to save, which included tapping into store websites for recipes, digital coupons and special deals to increase your savings.
Walmart, Kroger and Publix shared the following for consumers:
Walmart
"Walmart is committed to offering everyday low prices and our rollback program. In FY2025 Q2, we rolled back prices on 7,200 items, including a 35% increase in food rollbacks, keeping our grocery prices consistent despite a Consumer Price Index increase. We're also investing in private brands like Bettergoods, offering over 300 items with 70% priced at $5 or less, ensuring affordability and quality," the company said.
Kroger
- Use tools such as Kroger’s meat calculator so you only purchase what you need.
- Purchase fresh produce and use Kroger’s Fresh Lane DIY video, “How to Cut Spring and Summer Vegetables,” to save money by creating your own toppings, salads and sides.
- Look for mark-down down items in Kroger’s fresh departments such as bakery, deli, dairy, produce and meat & seafood. As these items approach their use-by dates, Kroger activates the company’s popular markdown program. Kroger encourages customers to purchase them through price reductions and manager’s specials. They are great buys and a great way for our customers to save money.
- Before heading to the store, visit Kroger.com for recipes, digital coupons and special deals. The Kroger website is also a great source for budget-friendly recipes.
- Customers can also save money by purchasing Kroger’s ‘Our Brands’ products. Our Brands include over 13,000 items that customers can only find at Kroger.
- Boost by Kroger, the delivery membership, is a great way to save money. Customers can save up to $1,000 per year on grocery delivery and fuel, as well as receive exclusive offers and free items. Eligible customers can try the Boost membership with a free 30-day trial and subscribe on a monthly basis for as little as $7.99.
Publix
- BOGOs - Our customers can count on 40-60 BOGO (buy one, get one) items every week, a great way to save on pantry staples. We've even had the number of BOGO items go up to 80 on holiday weeks!
- Club Publix – Free loyalty program that offers savings, convenience, and personalization to our customers. Members receive personalized communications and savings relevant to them , digital tools to make shopping easier and special perks for membership anniversaries, birthdays and even half-birthdays.
- In-Store Savings – Customers can save just by shopping our weekly ad full of coupons and located at the communication center in the front of the store.