Thanksgiving value competition is in full swing, with Aldi, Lidl US, Sam’s Club and Schnucks all rolling out holiday meal bundles priced from under $4 per person, while new research from Butterball shows consumers intend to hold on to their holiday traditions despite higher costs.
The promotions land as Butterball’s 2026 Togetherness Report finds 85 percent of consumers plan to celebrate Thanksgiving this year, with an anticipated gathering size of 10 people, the number most of the deals are built around.
Aldi: Classic meal for under $39
Aldi is offering a classic Thanksgiving meal for 10 for less than $39, or under $4 per person, with no coupons, loyalty cards, minimum purchases or memberships required. The meal includes a 16-pound turkey, stuffing, sweet potatoes, dinner rolls, cranberries, peas, carrots, celery, pumpkin pie ingredients, milk and whipping cream.
The retailer built this year’s basket around the core items tracked in the American Farm Bureau Federation’s Thanksgiving Dinner Cost Survey, making it easy for shoppers to compare prices. Over the last five years, Aldi says its shoppers have saved an average of 26 percent on a classic Thanksgiving meal compared to the national average reported by AFBF.
“Thanksgiving shouldn’t require a calculator or a coupon strategy,” said Atty McGrath, CEO of Aldi. “At Aldi, shoppers can put a 16-pound turkey and the Thanksgiving classics on the table for 10 people, all for under $39. No hoops. Just a really good meal at a really good price.”
The items are available Oct. 14-Nov. 25, marked with a turkey logo on in-store shelves. New this year, customers can add the entire shopping list to their online cart in one click for curbside pickup or delivery at ALDI.us.
Lidl: $35.86 basket with price-match promise
Lidl US will offer Lidl Plus members the ingredients for a Thanksgiving meal serving up to 10 people for $35.86 from Nov. 11-25. The basket includes a 14-pound Shady Brook Farms frozen whole turkey plus the makings of stuffing, gravy, mashed potatoes, sweet potato casserole, green bean casserole, macaroni and cheese, rolls and pumpkin pie.
Starting Nov. 11, the retailer also is backing the basket with its 2026 Thanksgiving “Never Beaten on Price” promise, matching the comparable total price of the Thanksgiving basket at Walmart and Aldi.
“Our 2026 Thanksgiving Never Beaten on Price promise is about giving customers confidence,” said Alan Barry, CEO of Lidl US. “When families come to Lidl US for Thanksgiving, they should know we are standing behind the value of their entire basket.”
Throughout November, Lidl US will temporarily reduce the prices of 100 products each week, and Lidl Plus customers who make a qualifying purchase once each week during the month can earn up to $25 extra in the Lidl Plus app in December. The retailer says it has reduced prices on more than 1,500 products this year.
Lidl US also will give every employee a free turkey, in addition to the existing 10 percent employee discount, and all stores will close on Thanksgiving Day.
“Our employees are the heroes who make Lidl possible every day,” said Mark Lacey, executive VP and chief people officer at Lidl US. “Giving every colleague a turkey in addition to their 10 percent employee discount is our way of saying thank you. And by closing our stores on Thanksgiving, we’re making sure our colleagues have the opportunity to be with their families and celebrate the holiday together.”
Sam’s Club: Feeding 16 for under $10 a person
Sam’s Club has unveiled its largest Thanksgiving meal ever, designed to feed 16 people for less than $10 per person, holding the per-person price to last year’s while adding items. The meal grew out of 12 months of collaboration with the Member’s Mark Community, whose feedback drove more protein (both boneless carver ham and hickory smoked turkey), a charcuterie tray for pre-meal grazing and a turkey gravy developed through multiple rounds of testing.
The 11-item Member’s Mark menu also includes Yukon Gold mashed potatoes, green beans with dried cranberries and almonds, macaroni and cheese, sweet corn with garlic butter, cranberry crunch salad, yeast dinner rolls and two 12-inch pumpkin pies. The club says the meal is designed to be prepared in about two hours in an average one-oven kitchen, versus upward of nine hours from scratch.
“We listened to our members and made this year’s meal even better, with more great items, quality ingredients and less time in the kitchen,” said Myron Frazier, EVP and chief merchant at Sam’s Club. “And we did it while keeping the price per person the same as last year.”
Beginning Oct. 28, members can add the entire meal to their carts with a single click, shopping in club, via curbside pickup or delivery.
Schnucks: Family of 10 for under $4 per serving
Schnucks is offering a complete Thanksgiving meal designed to feed a family of 10 for under $4 per serving, available at all stores Nov. 18-25. The meal centers on a Schnucks whole frozen turkey (with a Schnucks Rewards digital coupon) plus the fixings for mashed potatoes, stuffing, green bean casserole, corn, sweet potato casserole, rolls, cranberry sauce and a Marie Callender’s pie.
“Our customers choose to shop with us for their Thanksgiving meals each year because we work hard to be competitive on pricing, and because they trust us to deliver the highest quality products for their most important occasions,” said Kim Gray, chief merchant at Schnucks. “Schnucks is committed to helping families stretch their food dollars this holiday season.”
The St. Louis-based grocer also announced its holiday hours: stores will close at their normal time Nov. 25 and remain closed on Thanksgiving Day. Rewards members can earn additional points through a special Thanksgiving Boost available through Nov. 10.
Butterball: Traditions intact, turkey still the centerpiece
Butterball’s annual Togetherness Report, an online survey of 1,374 U.S. adults fielded by Circana in July, found hosts are holding on to their traditions, with most saying higher costs won’t change their plans.
Key findings
- 85 percent of consumers plan to celebrate Thanksgiving this year, with an anticipated celebration size of 10 people.
- Consumers are most looking forward to spending time with family (64 percent), followed by the food (53 percent) and relaxing (34 percent).
- 84 percent of hosts plan to serve turkey. Nearly half plan to purchase a frozen turkey, while one in five plan to buy fresh.
- Turkey remains the favorite part of the meal (45 percent), followed by stuffing (42 percent), pie (29 percent), sweet potatoes (25 percent) and potatoes (22 percent).
- 85 percent of hosts want guests to pitch in, but only 38 percent actually ask for help; 49 percent say final cleanup is when they need the most help.
“There’s so much care that goes into the big day, and we heard from hosts that a little support can go a long way,” said Rebecca Welch, director of retail and international brand management at Butterball. “From trusted advice from our Butterball Turkey Talk-Line experts to an extensive seasonal product portfolio, Butterball continues to support Thanksgiving hosts when it matters most.”
Founded in 1981, the Butterball Turkey Talk-Line is celebrating 45 years of answering holiday hosting questions. Opening Nov. 2, more than 50 Turkey Talk-Line experts will be available via phone, text, email, chat and social channels through Dec. 24.
Aldi operates more than 2,500 stores in 39 states.
Lidl US, part of Schwarz Group, operates more than 200 stores in nine East Coast states.
Schnucks, part of 1939 Group, operates 112 stores in Missouri, Illinois and Indiana.
Sam’s Club, a division of Walmart, operates more than 600 clubs in the U.S. and Puerto Rico.
Garner, North Carolina-based Butterball provides retail and foodservice products to customers in more than 30 countries.