We sought out the lowest-priced grocery stores in Charlotte. Here’s what we found

Food prices have been top of mind for people since the pandemic and were a key concern for voters during the presidential election. In the Charlotte region, grocery shoppers have hundreds of stores to choose from to find budget-friendly prices.

But not all stores are priced equally. So for the fourth straight year, The Charlotte Observer checked 11 items at 11 stores to find the lowest and highest priced for our grocery comparison of popular items.

Competition is fierce in the Charlotte region to grab a piece of the lucrative grocery market share. Supermarket sales broke a record $10.2 billion last year, up 7.4% compared to 2022, according to the latest Chain Store Guide report. Walmart and Harris Teeter dominate by market share for the No. 1 and No. 2 spots, respectively.

In Charlotte, we found the lowest receipt for an 11-item grocery cart of items like eggs, milk and bread spiked 11.7% in December compared to December 2023. The lowest-priced cart also was 57% higher compared to January 2020 before the pandemic.

The difference between the receipt with the lowest price for our groceries and the one with the highest was nearly $53.

In our comparison, we price-checked online at 11 stores: Aldi, Lidl, Walmart, Target, Food Lion, Harris Teeter, Trader Joe’s, Publix, Whole Foods Market, Fresh Market and Earth Fare.

How we compared grocery prices

We checked the items on Dec. 29 and 31, 2024, the same month as in 2023.

And we chose the least expensive option at each store, whether in-house or brand name. Regular prices were used, not sales or loyalty discount program prices. Be aware: Some grocers may have higher prices online than in stores.

Consumers continue to pay close attention to price changes. The latest Consumer Price Index data show that grocery store food prices rose 2.7% nationally in November 2024 compared to 2023.

Our cart included five basic meatloaf ingredients, plus six other items, which the Observer also checked for comparison last year.

We broke down cost per ounce for items like cornflakes and ketchup because available sizes varied between stores. The cost per ounce was calculated to 20 ounces of ketchup and 18 ounces of cornflakes.

The lowest grocery price winners

There was a new winner this year with the lowest overall grocery price in Charlotte, but it was tight.

Walmart squeaked past Lidl by just 20 cents to capture the lowest-priced grocery cart. It’s the first time the Bentonville, Arkansas retail giant has topped either discount German grocer Aldi or Lidl as the price leader since our annual comparison beganin 2020.

The total cost of our 11-item bag was $26.73 at Walmart, followed by Lidl at $26.93. Aldi was next at $28.58.

Walmart said it works with suppliers to advocate for lower prices and create efficiencies within the company to pass savings to customers. A company official was not made available for this story.

Of the traditional grocers, Food Lion had the lowest price at $30.41, followed closely by Matthews-based Harris Teeter at $30.94. Target’s cart followed at $33.44.

Next were Trader Joe’s at $37.81, Florida-based Publix at $43.38, Whole Foods at $44.19 and Fresh Market at $67.89. Asheville-based Earth Fare, which sells mainly natural and organic items, had the most expensive cart at $79.64.

Earth Fare’s grocery bill total was $52.91 higher than Walmart’s.

Cheapest grocer for staples, making meatloaf

Here’s which stores had the lowest price for our meatloaf recipe and most popular staples:

▪ Comparing meatloaf-only ingredients of a dozen large eggs, a gallon of skim milk, a loaf of white bread, ketchup at 20 ounces and 1 pound of 80% lean ground beef, Lidl was the cheapest at $12.73, followed by Walmart at $13.30 and Aldi at $13.45. (That’s an increase from the cost in 2023 of $10.55 at Aldi, followed by Walmart at $11.75 and Lidl at $12.10.)

▪ For the three staples — Target was cheapest for eggs at $1.99, Lidl had the best bread price at 99 cents and Food Lion had the lowest price for milk at $2.19.

More 2024 to 2023 grocery comparisons

Overall, only four items in our shopping cart cost more than in 2023. The price of spaghetti stayed the same.

These foods saw the biggest price jumps:

▪ The lowest-priced eggs cost $1.99 in December at Target compared to $1.24 in December 2023 at Lidl. That’s a 60% increase.

Wholesale egg prices are not set by the farmers. They are priced on the commodity market and driven by supply and demand,” said Lisa Prince, executive director of the North Carolina Egg Association. “The U.S. egg supply has been hard hit by highly pathogenic avian influenza this year, which is disrupting the egg market and is impacting egg prices across the country.”

▪ Ice cream prices rose with the lowest price $2.79 at Food Lion compared to $2.67 at both Lidl and Walmart in 2023, a more than 4% increase.

▪ Aldi had the lowest price on mozzarella cheese in December 2024 and 2023, although the price went up to $4.05 from $3.45 in 2023. That’s a 17% increase.

The rest of the items could be picked up for less in December 2024 compared to the prior December:

▪ The lowest-priced milk cost $2.19 in December at Food Lion compared to $2.54 at Walmart in 2023, a nearly 14% drop.

▪ The lowest-priced bread was 99 cents at Lidl, compared to $1.29 in 2023 at Lidl and Aldi, a 23% savings.

▪ Ketchup dropped to 97 cents for a 20-ounce bottle compared to $1.03 in 2023 at Aldi.

▪ Harris Teeter continues to beat other grocers on the ground beef price. December’s cost was $3.71 for a 80% lean pound, compared to $3.99 from 2023.

▪ Bananas dropped in price costing 24 cents per pound at Aldi compared to 39 cents at Aldi and Lidl last year.

▪ Cornflakes cost $1.68 at Walmart compared to $2.15 at Aldi in 2023.

The price differences

From our survey, here are some of the more significant grocery price differences in our carts:

▪ One gallon of skim milk: $2.19 at Food Lion, compared to $9.49 at Earth Fare.

▪ A dozen large eggs: $1.99 at Target, compared to $4.79 at Trader Joe’s.

▪ A loaf of white bread: 99 cents at Lidl, compared to $4.79 at Earth Fare.

▪ Ketchup: 97 cents at Aldi and $6.19 at The Fresh Market.

▪ 1 lb. ground beef 80% lean: $3.71 at Harris Teeter, compared to $8.99 at Earth Fare.

▪ Romaine hearts, three-count bag: $2.99 at Trader Joe’s, versus $6.79 at Earth Fare.

▪ Vanilla ice cream: $2.79 at Food Lion, compared to $13.59 at Earth Fare.

▪ Cornflakes 18 ounces: $1.68 at Walmart, compared to $9.90 at The Fresh Market.

▪ Shredded mozzarella cheese cost $4.05 at Aldi for a 16-ounce bag, compared to $16 at Earth Fare.

Our comparison totals

Here were our grocery cart totals:

Walmart: $26.73

Lidl: $26.93

Aldi: $28.58

Food Lion: $30.41

Harris Teeter: $30.94

Target: $33.44

Trader Joe’s: $37.81

Publix: $43.38

Whole Foods: $44.19

Fresh Market: $67.89

Earth Fare: $79.64

Charlotte grocery store competition

Charlotte has steep grocery store competition with over 745 grocery stores with more planned.

Publix has plans to open at least six stores after opening its 23rd store last year at 1254 Coddle Creek Highway in Mooresville.

Phoenix-based Sprouts Farmers Market will open its third Charlotte store at One NoDa Park development on the corner of 36th and Tryon streets.

Rochester, N.Y.-based Wegmans will make its Charlotte debut in 2026. The 110,000-square-foot grocery store will open on the east side of Ballantyne in south Charlotte.

This story was originally published January 13, 2025 at 5:55 AM with the headline "We sought out the lowest-priced grocery stores in Charlotte. Here’s what we found."