Local Grocers Work To Keep Shelves Stocked For Thanksgiving Amid Supply Chain Issues

Thanksgiving is less than a week away and shoppers who haven't started yet may have a problem. Store shelves don't fill up as fast and prices on holiday staples are up.

News 9 went into Homeland on NE 36th Street to see how shoppers make sure all their turkey day favorites are on the table and to see about how much a holiday dinner for six would cost. 

"We're about $0.20 a pound more expensive on frozen turkey this year than we were last year," said Homeland President and CEO Marc Jones.

Just in time for the holidays, supply chain issues make life difficult for grocery stores across the country. Some Thanksgiving staples are harder to come by, something Jones said Homeland stores planned for.

"This year really required us getting a lot of products a lot earlier than we would normally," Jones said. "I think we cornered the market on canned vegetables around the middle of July which is not canned vegetable season."

Jones said they should have enough stock to go around even for last minute shoppers. But people may need to be flexible with their dinner menu, from ventures into new brands if their favorite is out of stock, to a menu that's outside the Thanksgiving day box.

"I'm doing Cornish hens because we didn't know about turkeys and stuff," said early shopper Alexcia Onley. "We wanted to get it in early 'cause we're afraid with everything going on, with inflation and all of the prices going up. If we don't get it now, we may not get it."

Onley said she's even prepared to go on a holiday scavenger hunt to make sure she gets all the ingredients.

"We'll hit multiple stores to try and get everything we need," she said.

But the most important part, Onley said, is not what's on the table, but who's around it.

"Getting to just come together and be family. We don't know what we got coming and so it's really important this year that we all get together and eat, drink and be merry," she said.

For a Thanksgiving dinner this year, it will cost about $54 dollars with homemade stuffing and mashed potatoes and about $50 with instant.

Shopping List:

1. Turkey: 10.9lbs
2. Stuffing: Instant: boxed stuffing; Homemade: 2 loaves of bread, 1 onion, 1 package celery, can of chicken stock.
3. Mashed Potatoes: Instant: Box potatoes; Homemade: 7 Russet potatoes, package of butter, half gallon of milk
4. Gravy: Gravy packet
5. Cranberry Sauce: One can of jellied 
6. Rolls: 1 package of rolls
7. Green Bean Casserole: 3 cans of green beans, 1 can of cream of mushroom soup,1 package of French fried onions
8. Dessert: 1 frozen pumpkin pie

No seasonings, drinks or cooking oils/supplies are included in the dinner total.