TAMPA, Fla. — Everyone loves a good buy-one-get-one deal and low prices. This Fourth of July, major grocery store chains are competing to attract customers to their stores.
ABC Action News reporter Michael Paluska shopped at five stores across Tampa Bay, comparing the best prices on Fourth of July staples, including hamburgers, hot dogs, bread, chips, and everything in between.
According to the Wells Fargo Agri-Food Institute's annual report on Fourth of July food trends, people can expect to spend around $130 to host a group of 10, which is a 2.2% increase from last year.
According to the report, the most significant year-over-year increase in costs is for beef, at 7.4%.
"Everybody loves to have burgers on July 4," Brad Rubin, Sector Manager for the Wells Fargo Agri-Food Institute, told Paluska. "We have the lowest cattle herd since almost 1950 on record, and so the supply is a little bit tight. So, the prices of ground beef have actually increased just a little bit. But if you're looking for alternatives, chicken is always a great option. Or turning that ground beef and the barbecue sliders is always a perfect fit as well."
"Boneless barbecued chicken breasts are up just 1% thanks to ample supply and lower feed costs," the report showed.
Good news for dessert fans: ice cream and baked goods are both mostly flat in price, with increases of 1.5% or less. A 1.5-quart tub of ice cream is up less than 1%.
As for drinks, beer and wine are up less than 2%, while sparkling water is up 4.7%. Look for promotions on multi-packs of drinks.
Peak-season fruits and veggies offer both flavor and value. Watermelon and strawberry prices are slightly cheaper than last year -- down 0.6% -- and fresh broccoli, cauliflower, and baby carrots all remain affordable.
Cherry tomatoes are up 3.7%, so opt for another variety for any salad or appetizer.
At Aldi, Paluska found prices on 80/20 ground beef were the lowest across the Bay Area. We found a pack of pre-made patties with 10 hamburgers for $10, with a total weight of 2.25 pounds. Target had a similar deal: 10 patties for $10; however, the weight was slightly less, coming in at 2 pounds.
Americans consume approximately 150 million hot dogs on the 4th. Aldi had a pack of eight hot dogs for $0.89, which was also the lowest price we found on hot dogs. If you want all-beef hot dogs, expect to pay slightly more because of the increase in beef costs.
Now through Labor Day, Aldi says they are dropping prices on 400+ products - nearly 25% of our selection – to help shoppers save $100 million on their grocery bills.
Walmart is also offering 4th of July deals, including rollbacks, both in-store and online, on more than 1,000 items.
Target is offering gift cards on everyday household items, such as paper towels, as part of their "Target Circle Week" event, which runs from July 6 to July 12.
The aisles of Publix were packed with BOGOS, as well as those of Winn-Dixie.
We noticed that prices for beef, chicken, pork, and eggs were extremely competitive across the board.
But egg prices are still up, but leveling off, according to Rubin.
"Egg supplies are extremely low, and prices are still elevated, Rubin said. "Eggs are up 40% year over year. So those deviled eggs might be a luxury item this year."
There is good news, Rubin said: despite increases in beef prices, deals are still available.
"While a lot of the news is really big on maybe beef prices and egg prices at the moment, there's still a lot of great deals on food. And when you look at the year-over-year inflation of all these different commodities, the American consumer is still getting a great price," Rubin said.
To sum it up:
Choose chicken over beef for grilling — it's the leaner and cheaper option.
Buy large-format drinks, such as liter sodas or wine bottles, instead of cans and singles.
Shop your local farmers' market for peak-season deals on fruit and produce.
Check for store promos on multi-pack sparkling waters or frozen desserts.
Go DIY on side dishes like cornbread and potato salad to avoid the markup on store-made versions.
Stick with classic hot dogs (non-all-beef) and sliders instead of full-sized burgers.
PRICE TRACKER: July 2025
TARGET
- AVOCADO— .99
- HONEY CRISP APPLES— $2.66
- DOZ. EGGS— $2.79
- CHICKEN BREASTS—$2.69
- GROUND BEEF 93/7—$7.69
WAL-MART
- AVOCADO— .88
- HONEY CRISP APPLES—$3.78
- DOZ. EGGS— $2.72
- CHICKEN BREASTS BULK—$2.67
- GROUND BEEF 93/7—$7.56
PUBLIX
- AVOCADO— $1.49
- HONEY CRISP APPLES— $3.99
- DOZ. EGGS— 3.99
- CHICKEN BREASTS—$4.49
- GROUND BEEF 93/7— $9.99
ALDI
- AVOCADO— .95
- HONEY CRISP APPLES— $2.43
- DOZ. EGGS— $2.42
- CHICKEN BREASTS—$2.29
- GROUND BEEF 93/7— $7.09 lb
WINN-DIXIE
- AVOCADO— 1.25 each
- HONEY CRISP APPLES— $3.49 lb
- DOZ. EGGS— $3.79
- CHICKEN BREASTS—$2.99
- GROUND BEEF 93/7— $8.49
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