Holiday shoppers battle crowded retailers and rising prices

Billings, Montana – Billings grocery store crowds and long lines didn’t deter customers from going out on Sunday to stock up on supplies for Thanksgiving.

“It was just chaos in every corner I turned, but everyone was polite so I’m just grateful for that,” Dez Wyman said outside of WinCo Foods.

Customers in Billings went shopping on Sunday to get goods for Thanksgiving despite the crowded stores and long lineups.

“I do for my family and then I also feed the tumbleweed kiddos,” she said.

Additionally, Brandon Feller went shopping for the 14 guests who would be joining him for Thanksgiving dinner.

“I had to get one turkey and then the desserts,” he said. “It was wild, but I think it was expected. Just the time of year.”

This holiday season, buyers face more than just crowded supermarkets; the cost of the groceries you’ll need for Thanksgiving has gone up.

“Quite a drastic change, especially in the meats,” Kassity Sorlie said.

The 37th annual poll by the American Farm Bureau Federation reveals a 20% increase in price from the previous year for Thanksgiving dinner. The average price to feed 10 people this year is $64.05, which is nearly $10 more than the average price of $53.31 in 2021.

Sorlie claimed she is fortunate to be able to make expense savings in a way that not everyone can.

“We were blessed at home and already have our ham and turkey, so I didn’t have to buy that… We were lucky enough to have our own from own pig and this year,” she said.