How Much Lower are Prices at Discount Stores? An Examination of Retail Food Prices

摘要: Nontraditional stores, including mass merchandisers, supercenters, club warehouse and dollar have increased their food offerings over the past 15 years often promote themselves as lower priced alternatives to traditional supermarkets. How much are prices at these stores? In order better understand nontraditional stores’ impact on cost of food, ERS analysts evaluate price differences between stores national market level using 2004-06 Nielsen Homescan data. Findings show that retailers offer than even after controlling for brand package size. Comparisons identical items, Universal Product Code (UPC) level, an expenditure-weighted average discount 7.5 percent, with ranging from 3 28 percent in stores. metro areas where such a higher-than-average share smaller less frequent discounts those share.