Wine, ice cream, and other groceries that dropped in price in the West last month
Jeff Whyte // Shutterstock
Wine, ice cream, and other groceries that dropped in price in the West last month
Exterior shot of a Safeway store.
Grocery prices at large are not going down. But there are some exceptions.
Record inflation has severely impacted fuel costs and pricing for virtually all of our everyday necessities, including weekly groceries. Many factors have contributed to the surge in pricing, including producers’ increased cost to package goods and extreme weather conditions that destroyed crops. Grocery prices are up about 10.2% between February 2022 and 2023. The increase from January is more moderate, at just 0.3%.
While costs remain high overall, prices for some food items came down last month. Stacker used monthly Bureau of Labor Statistics data to find the grocery items that experienced the largest price decreases in the Western region in February, using year-over-year changes as a tiebreaker where needed.
For this analysis, the West includes Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming. Stacker excluded some hyper-specific meat categories in order to better understand grocery price fluctuations more broadly.
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Brent Hofacker // Shutterstock
#13. Ham (per lb.)
Ham on platter
– One-month decrease in cost: -1%
– Annual change in cost: +5.4%
– February 2023 cost: $4.85
Sheila Fitzgerald // Shutterstock
#12. Ground beef (per lb.)
A grocery shelf filled with various ground beef packages.
– One-month decrease in cost: -1.1%
– Annual change in cost: -6.2%
– February 2023 cost: $5.40
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Canva
#11. Malt beverages (per 16 oz.)
A variety of beers in a refrigerator in a supermarket
– One-month decrease in cost: -1.2%
– Annual change in cost: +8.1%
– February 2023 cost: $1.84
Canva
#10. Bananas (per lb.)
Bananas in a pile.
– One-month decrease in cost: -1.5%
– Annual change in cost: -2.3%
– February 2023 cost: $0.72
Canva
#9. Lemons (per lb.)
A display of lemons at a grocery store
– One-month decrease in cost: -1.8%
– Annual change in cost: Not available
– February 2023 cost: $2.12
The Toidi // Shutterstock
#8. Whole milk (per gal.)
A grocery shelf filled with gallons of whole milk.
– One-month decrease in cost: -1.8%
– Annual change in cost: +0.8%
– February 2023 cost: $4.14
Jiri Hera // Shutterstock
#7. Long-grain white rice (per lb.)
Uncooked white rice spilling out of a burlap sack on a wooden table
– One-month decrease in cost: -2.1%
– Annual change in cost: +6.3%
– February 2023 cost: $0.80
Canva
#6. Spaghetti and macaroni (per lb.)
Dried macaroni noodles.
– One-month decrease in cost: -2.2%
– Annual change in cost: +24.2%
– February 2023 cost: $1.84
Angie Yeoh // Shutterstock
#5. Potato chips (per 16 oz.)
A full aisle of various chips at the grocery store.
– One-month decrease in cost: -3.2%
– Annual change in cost: +8.6%
– February 2023 cost: $6.25
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Canva
#4. Navel oranges (per lb.)
Baskets of naval oranges.
– One-month decrease in cost: -3.2%
– Annual change in cost: +4%
– February 2023 cost: $1.53
Canva
#3. Tomatoes (per lb.)
Bright red tomatoes with green tops.
– One-month decrease in cost: -4.5%
– Annual change in cost: +10%
– February 2023 cost: $2.05
MM Stock // Shutterstock
#2. Ice cream, prepackaged in bulk (per 1/2 gal.)
The ice cream aisle at the grocery store.
– One-month decrease in cost: -4.7%
– Annual change in cost: +10.6%
– February 2023 cost: $6.59
06photo // Shutterstock
#1. Wine (per 1 liter)
A person pushing a grocery cart down the wine aisle.
– One-month decrease in cost: -5.6%
– Annual change in cost: -10.6%
– February 2023 cost: $13.64
