Grocery Store Prices on the Rise: A Local Price Comparison

Jonson Kuhn | North Forty News

It’s no secret that prices are on the rise all over the country. Northern Colorado is no exception to that.

During these times of inflation, it’s important to be aware of prices from one store to the next so that you can shop wisely and save every penny you can where you can. That’s why North Forty has taken the liberty of comparing prices of typical household staple items from a couple of a few local favorite grocery stores (Ridley’s in Wellington and Beaver’s Market in Fort Collins). We compared those with prices at a bigger national chain (King Soopers).

As you can see for yourself, the smartest and cheapest way to shop might just be making a few stops between each store for the least expensive items on your shopping list.

It’s not as cut and dry as one store being the cheapest or more expensive.  For instance, ground beef at King Soopers was originally priced at $7.99 whereas at Ridley’s the original price of ground beef was 4.69, making King Soopers Kroger brand meat a whopping 40% more expensive. The same can be said for Beaver’s Market ground beef, as well; their name-brand meat sells for 4.99 per pound, which is still roughly 40% less than the ground beef sold at King Soopers.  But that’s just meat, if we look at milk, for instance, Beaver’s is by far the cheapest at $1.99 versus $5.19 at Ridley’s or $3.59 at King Soopers.

Ridley’s eggs are currently on sale for $2.49 a carton but before the sale, they were priced at $3.79 and Beaver’s eggs are $5.19 while King Soopers has them both beat with eggs priced at $3.29 — without even running a sale.  So, it’s not always safe to assume shopping local will save money, just as in the case of ice cream and rice where King Soopers has both local stores beat with cheaper prices.

Far be it for me to ever discourage people from shopping local because there are obviously great benefits to keeping money within the same community we live in, but there’s no denying — times are hard — Not just for the consumer but for those running businesses, as well.

That’s why it’s more important now than ever to stay up on prices and compare when and where you can so you can stay informed on how much you can afford to help local commerce while also helping yourself.

Ridley’s
Bread: $3.69
Meat: $4.69 ($3.49 sale)
Milk: $5.19 ($4.99 sale)
Eggs: $3.79 ($2.49 sale)
Rice: $2.19 ($1.99 sale)
Ice Cream: $3.89

Beaver’s
Bread: $3.59
Meat: $4.99
Milk: $1.99
Eggs: $5.19
Rice: $2.19
Ice Cream: $4.99

King Soopers (Kroger)
Bread: $3.79
Meat: $7.99 ($5.49 sale)
Milk: $3.59
Eggs: $3.29
Rice: $1.34 ($1.00 sale 10 for 10)
Ice Cream: $3.29 ($2.50 sale 2 for 5)