Major U.S. retailers trumpet down-priced Thanksgiving meal kits while quietly trimming contents

08 November 2025

A Walmart employee puts out a frozen turkey ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday in Chicago, Illinois, U.S. November 27, 2019. REUTERS/Kamil Krzaczynski/File Photo

As the holiday season approaches, three major U.S. retailers, Walmart Inc., Target Corporation and Aldi Einkauf GmbH & Co. are rolling out promotional Thanksgiving meal kits advertised as easier on the wallet than last year’s offerings. On paper the deals look compelling: Walmart’s kit for 10 people is now priced under $40, compared with around $56 last year for a kit that served fewer. Aldi’s version is priced at $40 for ten people, a reduction from $47 the year before. Target is offering a kit under $20 for four people, leaning heavily on its private-label brands.

Yet beneath the headline savings lies a twist. The meal kits themselves include fewer items and swap some national-brand staples for private-label alternatives, partly reflecting cost-cutting, partly a recalibration of retail strategy amid consumer price sensitivity. Walmart’s kit now features 15 items, down from 21 last year, and the share of its own Great Value brand items has increased. Several ingredients like onions and celery have been removed entirely. Aldi’s kit includes fewer items and less expensive turkey choices. Target’s package likewise replaces major-brand items with its in-house equivalents.

The optics matter. While the promotion emphasises affordability, analysts and consumer advocates are pointing out that fewer items demand scrutiny. One store-owner based in Connecticut told Reuters that shoppers are increasingly asking, “How do I save money on my food?” and that private-label alternatives are becoming default recommendations. A NielsenIQ survey cited in the report found 58 % of respondents were extremely worried about food-price inflation and 31 % said they would choose store brands whenever possible.

For Walmart the math is interesting: Their kit has a Butterball turkey at 96 cents a pound, up from 88 cents for last year’s Honeysuckle White bird. The replacement of the turkey brand and ingredient cuts make the total basket smaller but cheaper. Aldi’s kit swapped a Butterball turkey for a Jennie-O model and redistributed resources from branded items like single pie-crusts to a frozen two-pack.

Target’s strategy reinforces the trend: Their seven-item kit replaces national brands such as Del Monte green beans and Campbell’s Cream of Mushroom soup with its own shelves. The shift underscores how private-label expansion is becoming mainstream in seasonal offerings that were once anchored by brands.

From a business-perspective the move makes a lot of sense. Retailers are battling not only food-cost inflation but squeezed consumer spending in a slower growth environment. By trading down that is, offering fewer items and more own-brand goods they protect margin while still delivering a “deal” message. The promotional language resonates with cost-aware shoppers, even if the underlying value proposition is less generous than in prior years.

It is worth considering the consumer mindset behind the shift. The reported cut in items and substitution of less expensive brands may mean shoppers get less variety or branding for the same or slightly lower price. Those focused purely on savings may be pleased, but those accustomed to full national-brand spreads could feel the difference. That suggests a subtle repositioning of what “holiday meal kit” means in 2025.

On the macro front these changes also point to retailers adapting to structural shifts in food-retail spending. With grocers and big-box chains facing margin pressure, offering a high-visibility, low-cost Thanksgiving kit builds foot traffic, drives basket size and reinforces store-brand loyalty all in one go. It’s part promotional tool, part strategic response.

For consumers the takeaway is mixed. On one hand they can feed more people for less money under $4 per person at Walmart’s pricing is hard to ignore. On the other hand they should pay attention to what’s inside. Fewer items may mean more of the same item or fewer ancillary side-dishes. The question will be whether those trade-offs matter more than the price tag.

In the context of the broader economy, the move underscores how consumer sentiment remains cautious. With food costs up year-on-year and household budgets under stress, the pivot to cheaper, smaller packages reflects the reality of a tighter spending climate. It also signals that retailers expect price-sensitive shoppers to gravitate to meal kits and store brands this holiday season.

In summary these Thanksgiving-meal kit deals may sound like a win for bargain-hunters but they come with subtleties. The savings are real but adjacent to reductions in contents and substitution of premium brands. Whether shoppers will value that trade-off depends on their priorities: price, brand recognition or variety. For the retailers it is a carefully crafted message of affordability at a time when every dollar counts.