© 77 WABC and Jillian Nelson
(New York, NY) – This past weekend, 77 WABC and the Red Apple Group gave away 10,000 turkeys to help families in need ahead of Thanksgiving. And yet, as warm feelings were spreading regarding such a noble endeavor, I was contacted by owner-operator John Catsimatidis. He said the prices of turkeys this holiday season needed a closer look.
Catsimatidis, a business magnate who built his name by knowing and thriving within the grocery business, said this is a ripoff. “The big New York ripoff,” he said. And to be sure there are a number of factors, but the numbers are clear.
While turkey prices are actually down nationwide at retail stores, that doesn’t appear to be the case in New York City. Data from Wells Fargo and the American Farm Bureau says the cost of a traditional Thanksgiving meal is down 3-6% depending on location. That includes lower prices for stuffing, dinner rolls, and turkey. Yet Catsimatidis noted he was puzzled by the numbers and trend lines he’s seeing locally. Nationally, turkey is selling for $1.34 per pound, which is down 16% year over year. But on Staten Island, according to Borough President Vito Fossella, Shop Rite is selling their brand for $1.59 per pound. Butterball is selling $2.39 per pound.
Are these just instances of regional differences in pricing? It’s worth noting that large, national brands such as Butterball are experiencing pricing pressures of their own given production challenges. Recent closures, such as Butterball’s Jonesboro, Arkansas facility (laying off 180 workers) and Perdue Farms’ Indiana turkey plant (nearly 300 layoffs), have reduced processing capacity. That’s amid bird flu disruptions and shifting consumer preferences toward other meats. The meatpacking industry is consolidating, and that further exacerbates supply constraints, pushing up wholesale prices due to limited output.
It’s not just turkey, either. Tyson Foods just announced plans to close one of the nation’s largest beef processing plants in Lincoln, Nebraska. This is a similar story: ranchers have reduced the size of their herd in recent years as drought has impacted the cost of feed – raising the amount of money it takes to raise a heifer for slaughter. In turn, meat packers have had to then compete with each other for heifers, in turn raising the cost for end consumers. Upward of 4,900 jobs could be impacted.
When it comes to wholesale prices for turkey, there are several pricing pressures that could cause pain for consumers in future years. Among them is the aforementioned bird flu, also known as highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI). It’s decimated poultry flocks. In 2025, 2.2 million turkeys were impacted – with 600,000 in September alone.
Said plainly, there are all kinds of macroeconomic factors and industry trend lines that impact things like poultry and beef prices. But it’s especially painful for families who may face higher costs for holiday staples – like Turkey on Thanksgiving – when inflation is still running high. And special promotions offered by individual grocers or stores can only overcome reality for so long. As Catsimatidis told me: “The victims are the retail source and consumers.”
Again the question remains: is there any identifiable wrongdoing at hand? Are meatpacking companies improperly manipulating prices – or taking advantage of seasonal spikes in demand?
While seasonal Thanksgiving demand remains strong, long-term consumption has declined. Beef prices are up 15% year-over-year, per the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Meanwhile, industry projections say up to 610 million fewer pounds of turkey will be consumed in 2025, compared to 2015. In response, some retailers offer turkey discounts to try and boost sales at Thanksgiving and Christmas. Walmart offers turkey at $0.97 per pound, while discount grocery chain Aldi markets meals for under $4 per person.
Still, for consumers who only purchase turkey during the holiday season, the unique spike in demand may only serve to raise prices over time.
There are other, policy-related aspects of turkey prices rising (and beef, for that matter). President Trump has imposed tariffs on imports from certain countries as he looks to boost domestic production, employment, and farming/ranching overall. But in the process there will be growing pains. Tariffs on materials seemingly unrelated to food – such as steel and aluminum – raise costs for packaging. The CPI shows persistent food inflation at 2.7%.
Some consumers and observers have argued that retailers are exploiting supply shortages to inflate prices beyond wholesale increases, with spot market retail turkeys potentially $20 more expensive for a 16-pound bird than pre-planned purchases. Critics point to a “disconnect” between wholesale surges and retail markups, though chains counter with promotions to attract shoppers — and no formal investigations have confirmed widespread gouging
Yet, as stated by Catsimatidis, in the meantime – it’s the consumer who suffers. And that’s especially hard to swallow during the holidays, when many families are counting every last dollar to make ends meet. That’s why the turkey giveaway and all the charitable efforts undertaken by 77 WABC and the Red Apple Group mean so much – progress is not a straight line, and economics can get messy. That’s also true for business. But heart, and kindness, and generosity, overcome it. That’s the American way.
