With food bills still squeezing many households, a recent pricing study suggests one major grocery chain may offer a small advantage.
Among the four retailers reviewed, Kroger finished with the cheapest basket of house-brand essentials.
What's happening?
According to Fox 5 Atlanta, Restaurant Furniture Plus priced out 15 everyday store-brand items at Kroger, Walmart, Aldi, and Albertsons. The list covered basics like milk, bread, eggs, chicken breast, spaghetti, canned beans, and baking supplies.
At Kroger, the full basket totaled $30, the lowest amount in the study.
The other totals came in higher: Walmart at $30.95, Aldi at $33.15, and Albertsons at $35.58.
Kroger's edge was driven in part by pantry items. It was especially competitive on canned diced tomatoes, spaghetti, sugar, and a dozen large eggs, and overall it had the lowest price on 10 of the 15 products checked, more than any other retailer in the comparison. The Ohio-based grocer operates about 1,229 stores across 16 states.
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Aldi stood out most in dairy, where its store-brand products compared particularly well.
Costco, Trader Joe's, H-E-B, and Piggly Wiggly were not included in the comparison. Trader Joe's was left out because some of the basket items were unavailable there, while Costco's bulk-buy model made direct price comparisons more difficult.
Why does it matter?
The findings come at a time when grocery spending remains a major source of financial pressure. Citing a new Urban Institute study, the report said food costs are up 32% compared with five years ago.
The same Urban Institute research found that more than a quarter of working-age Americans have used credit cards to cover routine grocery costs.
The report noted, "Groceries are one of the largest household budget items for families."
What can I do?
Comparing store-brand staples instead of focusing only on weekly sale items can help lower grocery costs. Products such as pasta, canned vegetables, sugar, eggs, and bread are often easy to swap without changing how you cook or eat.
One store is not always the cheapest across every category. Kroger had the lowest total basket in this study, but Aldi's dairy prices stood out.
Keeping a simple running list of the products you buy most often can make those comparisons easier. If you know the typical price you pay for essentials, it becomes easier to spot when another retailer is offering a better everyday deal.
Starting with a store's private-label line can be one of the easiest ways to bring down a total bill. Store brands often provide the clearest side-by-side savings when food inflation is still putting pressure on household budgets.
"Over the past five years, food costs have increased substantially," the Urban Institute report said.
It added, "This means that families today face persistently higher prices when they go to the grocery store, and food affordability remains a key concern for many."
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