US Thanksgiving dinner cost down 4% due to Covid-19 pandemic: Survey

The average cost of this year`s Thanksgiving dinner declined by 4 per cent from last year, as celebrations will look different for many Americans due to the Covid-19 pandemic, according a recent survey released by the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF).

The average cost of this year`s Thanksgiving feast for 10 remains affordable at $46.90, or less than $5 per person, the survey showed. This is a $2.01 decrease from last year`s average, the Xinhua news agency reported.

"The average cost of this year`s Thanksgiving dinner is the lowest since 2010," said AFBF Chief Economist Dr. John Newton.

"Pricing whole turkeys as `loss leaders` to entice shoppers and move product is a strategy we`re seeing retailers use that`s increasingly common the closer we get to the holiday," Newton said.

The centerpiece on most Thanksgiving tables -- the turkey -- costs less than last year, at $19.39 for a 16-pound bird, according to the survey. That`s roughly $1.21 per pound, down 7 per cent from last year.

The shopping list for the informal survey includes turkey, stuffing, sweet potatoes, rolls with butter, peas, cranberries, a veggie tray, pumpkin pie with whipped cream, and coffee and milk, all in quantities sufficient to serve a family of 10 with plenty for leftovers.
 

The story has been taken from a news agency