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Cost of Christmas Dinner Increases 7% Despite Some Easing of Price Inflation

Dec. 20, 2023

Category Partners analysis of NielsenIQ data shows cost of basic holiday dinner to increase, driven by higher price inflation in grocery and bakery.

Andy Hanacek

According to supermarket sales data provided by NielsenIQ and data analysis and forecast by Category Partners, the cost to purchase Christmas dinner at a supermarket in 2023 will be about 7% higher than in 2022. Further, despite slower price inflation, the price for the holiday dinner in 2023 remains some 18.5% higher than at Christmas two years ago.

A basic Christmas dinner, including dinner rolls, salad with dressing, potatoes, beans, stuffing, ham and store made pie for a family of four, will cost approximately $50.56 this year. Last year, it was $47.25 for the same meal.

Category Partners used NielsenIQ supermarket data for the most recent 52- and 4-week periods through Dec. 2, 2023. Historical price changes between Thanksgiving and Christmas were used to forecast price trends.

According to Category Partners, total supermarket prices this year are up 6.6%, but price increases vary significantly by department. For example, seafood prices have gone down 1.7%, while produce (up 2.2%) and meat (up 2.4%) have seen slower than average price inflation. In contrast, grocery (up 10.5%) and bakery (up 9.5%) prices have seen higher than average price inflation.

About the Author

Andy Hanacek | Senior Editor

Andy Hanacek has covered meat, poultry, bakery and snack foods as a B2B editor for nearly 20 years, and has toured hundreds of processing plants and food companies, sharing stories of innovation and technological advancement throughout the food supply chain. In 2018, he won a Folio:Eddie Award for his unique "From the Editor's Desk" video blogs, and he has brought home additional awards from Folio and ASBPE over the years. In addition, Hanacek led the Meat Industry Hall of Fame for several years and was vice president of communications for We R Food Safety, a food safety software and consulting company.