THE GROCERIES SQUEEZE

Families are doing everything they can to afford groceries — and still falling behind.

READ THE REPORT

The Film

The grocery store is where Americans feel the affordability crisis every week.

Over the past several months, we’ve spoken with families across the country about what rising grocery costs actually means for them. This film captures some of those conversations — the tradeoffs people are making, the ways they’re changing how they shop, and the frustration that even doing everything “right” still isn’t enough.

New Polling

A majority of Americans think grocery prices are unfair

New polling done in partnership with Global Strategy Group shows how Americans are responding to rising costs. See the data.

High grocery prices are a visible and frequent financial stressor.

67% say grocery prices are unfair, with meat and poultry being especially unaffordable.

Americans are managing costs by changing how they shop.

78% are buying more store brands, 72% use coupons, loyalty programs or store apps, and 67% are buying fewer snacks, treats, or other non-essential items.

Increased prices are having an unequal effect on parents.

Parents are more likely than non-parents to use coupons, loyalty programs, or store apps to try and save money (parents 83% often, non-parents 67%).

Shoppers are most likely to connect tariffs to higher prices. The war in Iran is also breaking through.

83% say tariffs have increased grocery costs and 73% say the same about the war in Iran.

The Proposal

3 moves to bring down grocery bills and save American families $1,000+ a year

We dug into the drivers of rising grocery prices and identified a few powerful solutions that deliver savings for a family of four.

  • Removing the tariffs that hit the grocery supply chain and forcing companies to actually pass through the savings would save a household of four over $320 a year. The key is making sure that when the tariffs and war costs end, the savings actually reach families. To do this, we propose establishing a Fair Grocery Price Taskforce with strong investigative powers to hold stores accountable for passing savings through to people.

  • Require clear unit pricing so families can compare costs and spot shrinkflation – and ban algorithmic pricing that charges different shoppers different prices.

  • The government is able to secure discounts for grocery items and pass those savings on to military families, schools, and tribal organizations, among others. At a moment when Americans are so stretched at the grocery store, why not make lower cost grocery items available to people all over the country?

  • Restore SNAP

    The One Big Beautiful Bill cut $186 billion from SNAP – and as a result SNAP participation fell by more than 5 million people between July 2025 and May 2026 – at a moment when Americans are feeling crushed by rising grocery prices. Restore SNAP.

    Keep Our Food Supply Safe

    Strengthen food safety and biosecurity to protect families, farmers and the food supply.

    Back America’s Farmers and Ranchers

    Help smaller producers compete, rebuild the cattle supply and get a fair price for what they produce.

    Enforce the Rules Already on the Books

    Use existing competition and price-discrimination laws to crack down on practices that drive up costs.

The Resources

Get the full picture

Download the key findings, full policy proposal, and new polling.