WACONIA, Minn. — We’re just a few weeks away from Thanksgiving and when you go to buy your turkey, you’ll notice that prices have dropped significantly at many stores, including Walmart and Target.
At a time when food prices remain high, both retailers have cut turkey prices by almost 20% this year.
“I don’t want to wait until the last minute. They’re gone,” said Judy Jenkins, a shopper.
Even with Thanksgiving still weeks away, customers at Mackenthun’s in Waconia can’t resist a good deal.
“Just a turkey today. I like to buy them early,” said Don Talbert, a customer. “Prices have come down, and I’ve been following that, and I appreciate it.”
It’s a Thanksgiving treat weeks before the holiday. Regardless of the brand, the bird is a cheaper purchase. Retail turkeys at Mackenthun’s are down 40 to 70 cents per pound compared to two years ago.
Butterball is one of the better deals. Their turkeys cost $2.69 per pound last year. This year they are down to $1.99 per pound.
“We started getting all our turkeys in mid-October,” said Cole Sik, store manager.
Sik believes prices have fallen as supply chains have recovered from the pandemic. Because bird flu is not having the same impact on Minnesota turkeys as in recent years, supply is high.
“We’ve had our turkeys out for a week and a half and we’ve been restocking daily,” Sik said.
He added that retailers typically don’t make a lot of money from these sales, but turkeys are the ticket to getting customers into the store. Still, they may find prices high for other holiday products, such as cranberry sauce. A can of it rose from $1.49 a year ago to $1.99 this year.
“I think every retailer is trying to attract that customer and at least offer a turkey at a good price,” Sik said.
Mackenthun’s said their fresh turkeys will arrive a week before Thanksgiving, and expect prices to drop before that as well.
Johannes Lauritsen
