Grocery prices showed mixed trends in November

Image (c) ConsumerAffairs. November's ConsumerAffairs Datasembly Shopping Cart Index reveals coffee prices surging while cookies see significant declines, reflecting shifting consumer demand.

Coffee prices surged while cookie prices plunged

  • Largest YoY price increase: Whole Bean Coffee surged +$3.17 versus November 2024.

  • Largest MoM price increase: Whole Bean Coffee also led month-over-month gains, rising +$0.45 from October.

  • Largest overall price drop: Cookies saw the sharpest YoY decline, plunging –$3.93 compared with last year.


The November ConsumerAffairs Datasembly Shopping Cart Index shows notable divergences across categories, with premium coffee products experiencing steep increases while packaged snacks and some staples saw declines. 

Compared with both last year and last month, inflation pressures remain uneven, highlighting shifting consumer demand and supply dynamics.

The cart of 24 commonly purchased grocery items, tracked by Datasembly in real time, cost $151.10 in November, up from $150.84 in October. The cart totaled $151.77 in November 2024.

Last month, the strongest upward movement came from Whole Bean Coffee, which climbed from $12.47 in November 2024 to $15.64 in November 2025, an increase of $3.17, the largest YoY jump in the dataset. Bacon followed with a moderate increase of +$0.68, continuing its trend as one of the more inflation-sensitive proteins.

On the other end of the spectrum, Cookies posted a dramatic YoY drop, falling from $7.71 to $3.78, a decline of –$3.93. Other notable YoY decreases include:

  • Salted Butter: –$0.85

  • American Cheese Singles: –$0.28

  • Waffles: –$0.09

  • Tomato ketchup: –$0.08

These declines suggest easing pressures in bakery and dairy-related goods, even as coffee and meat remained elevated.

Month-Over-Month: Coffee leads gains, cereal sees sharp drop

Month-over-month changes (October 2025 → November 2025) displayed a different pattern, with most items showing stability or slight declines.

Whole Bean Coffee again posted the largest MoM increase, rising +$0.45, reinforcing its position as the most inflation-affected item in both timeframes. Bacon and toilet paper saw relatively small increases of +$0.17 and +$0.12, respectively.

The largest MoM decrease came from Honey Nut Cereal, dropping –$1.36, making it the single steepest short-term price correction. Other products with meaningful declines include:

  • Cheese: –$0.46

  • Potato Chips: –$0.46

  • Peanut Butter: –$0.39

  • Cola: –$0.30

These reductions reflect a modest easing in shelf-stable snack and pantry categories.

Broad stability in household essentials

Several products remained unchanged across both time periods, including Select-A-Size paper towels, whole milk, and mayonnaise, signaling stability in key household staples. Toilet paper and bottled water posted only marginal shifts, suggesting limited volatility in essential consumables.

Overall basket totals

Total basket comparisons show slight movement:

  • October 2025 total: $150.84

  • November 2024 total: $151.77

  • November 2025 total: $151.10

The basket cost rose +$0.26 YoY but fell –$0.26 MoM, illustrating an overall flat trend despite individual product volatility.


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