Shoppers at the West Chester Township Walmart can pick up a 26-item Thanksgiving meal basket for $35 this year, down from $40 last season.

The basket feeds 10 people at $3.50 per person and includes name-brand items, WLWT reported. Jayna Hill, who works in food and consumables at the West Chester store, said the basket includes a Butterball turkey, name-brand stuffing and Jiffy cornbread mix.

"It is absolutely a Butterball turkey," Hill said.

The price drop comes as shoppers feel squeezed. Walmart's own research shows 60% of shoppers say prices affect how they feel about holiday shopping, according to a Walmart corporate announcement.

Karamah Abdullah, a Springfield Township shopper, spent part of Nov. 10 at the West Chester store looking for ways to save on everyday essentials. She said the economy is forcing her to seek out lower prices.

"The economy is so tight and so expensive that you have to go where you save money," Abdullah said.

She added that the store seems busier than usual. When asked if the economy plays a role, Abdullah said other shoppers are probably trying to save money, too.

The pressure is widespread. A survey of 1,405 adults by Drive Research, fielded Oct. 6–9, found 41% of Black Friday shoppers expect to spend less this year than last, up from 31% in 2025. Among those cutting back, 68% pointed to rising grocery costs, up from 57% a year earlier.

Three rounds of deals

Walmart is spacing its holiday savings across three events nationwide, according to the company's Oct. 26 announcement:

  • Early Black Friday: Nov. 12–15. Online deals begin at 12:01 a.m. ET. In-store deals start at 6 a.m. local time.
  • Black Friday: Nov. 23–29. Online deals begin Nov. 23. In-store deals start Nov. 27 at 6 a.m. local time.
  • Cyber Monday: Nov. 30 through Dec. 2. Online only, starting at 12:01 a.m. ET.

Walmart+ members get early access to select online deals for the first 24 hours during the first two events, while supplies last.

In the toy aisle, 25 toys on Walmart's top toys list are priced under $25. The store is also promoting rollbacks on kitchen items and electronics.

WLWT reported that savings will extend past the headline events, with thousands of rollbacks and everyday low prices running through Christmas Eve.