Major Retailers Compete on Best Thanksgiving Meal

Rudy Blalock
By Rudy Blalock
October 28, 2024Business News
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Major Retailers Compete on Best Thanksgiving Meal
A family enjoys Thanksgiving roast in Stamford, Conn., on Nov. 24, 2016. (John Moore/Getty Images)

Major retailers are offering competitive Thanksgiving meal deals this holiday season, with prices lower than previous years despite ongoing inflation concerns.

Walmart is offering a Thanksgiving meal for less than $7 per person, serving eight people. According to a Walmart press release, the meal includes 29 items, featuring a whole frozen turkey at $0.88 per pound, along with sides and desserts. The total cost comes to under $56 for eight people, available both in-store and online through December 24.

“At Walmart, we are committed to offering customers even deeper savings on top of our Every Day Low Prices for all their mealtime needs,” said John Laney, executive vice president of food at Walmart U.S., according to the company’s announcement.

Target is offering a more compact meal option, serving four people for $20, which is $5 less than last year’s offering. According to a press release this month, the meal includes a Good & Gather Premium Basted Young Turkey up to 10 pounds, potatoes, green beans, cream of mushroom soup, cranberry sauce, stuffing mix, and gravy.

Rick Gomez, executive vice president and chief commercial officer at Target, stated, “From lowering the price of our Thanksgiving dinner menu to just $20, to a range of hosting and gifting options and special Target Circle 360 offerings, we’re serving up the kind of exceptional quality and value that sets Target apart.”

ALDI is taking a different approach, offering a Thanksgiving meal for 10 people at less than $47, which breaks down to less than $4.70 per person. According to their press release this month, this price point is lower than their 2019 offering, despite industry-wide grocery price increases of up to 50% since then.

Jason Hart, CEO of ALDI, said the company is focused on delivering in terms of value.

“We worked hard this Thanksgiving to deliver the best value and quality products so everyone can enjoy a traditional meal with family and friends without having to scale back,” he said.

Sam’s Club, Walmart’s membership-only retail warehouse club, is also joining the holiday meal race.

According to a blog post by Myron Frazier, Senior Vice President at Sam’s Club, their meal deal is targeting Millennial and Gen Z shoppers and will provide enough food to serve 10 people for under $100. Frazier said the meal can be delivered directly to club members’ homes in less than 3 hours and is fully pre-cooked, so just warm it up and it’s ready to serve.

“We understand that our members’ time is precious, especially during the holiday season. That’s why our Member’s Mark Thanksgiving meal includes eight fully pre-cooked holiday favorites,” he said.

The pack includes a Hickory smoked whole turkey, dinner rolls, macaroni and cheese, mashed potatoes, pumpkin pie, brussels sprouts, cranberry crunch salad, and sweet potato mash. The deal is available in-store and online but is currently listed out of stock on the store’s website.

These retailers are not only competing on price but also on convenience. Walmart and Target are offering online ordering with pickup and delivery options, while Sam’s Club provides its pre-cooked meal packs for easy preparation.