🛒 Want cheaper groceries? Shop local
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Cristina's Produce. Photo: Abbey Higginbotham/Axios
Grocery prices recently saw their biggest spike in three years, but KC shoppers often have a cheaper route: local.
The big picture: Shopping local has long been considered the premium option. But right now it can be a bargain.
- I bought a basket of produce at City Market last week, and it cost less than the same items at the metro's biggest chain.
By the numbers: Grocery prices rose 0.7% in December, the biggest one-month jump since August 2022, per the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
- The fruit and vegetable category finished 2025 up 0.5% from 2024.
Zoom in: I ran my test last Saturday at City Market, the oldest and largest year-round market in KC, where weekend vendors sell under three open-air sheds alongside daily specialty grocers.
- I decided to focus on fruits and vegetables, shopping at the farmers market and grocer Cristina's Produce.
- My basket included two avocados, three yellow onions, a bag of baby potatoes, a head of broccoli, three bell peppers and two cucumbers.
- The total came out to $14.56.
I priced the same basket at three of the metro's biggest grocery store chains using current shelf prices.
- Trader Joe's came in the highest at $24.79, more than $10 over my basket at City Market.
- Hy-Vee landed in the middle at $19.88.
- Aldi came closest at $14.68, just 12 cents behind.
💭 My thought bubble: My wallet came home fuller than expected. Can't say the same about most Trader Joe's runs.
Caveat: The Journal of Food Distribution Research found that a conventional basket at farmers markets cost 17% more on average than at grocery stores, but prices vary widely by location.
- Our KC basket landed on the cheaper side, though it didn't include meat or dairy.
What to try: If you want to run your own test, here's where to shop locally.
- City Market's other year-round specialty grocers include Global Produce, Alhabashi Mart and Crossland International Market.
- More than 20 other farmers markets operate across the metro, including in Brookside, Overland Park, Lee's Summit and Parkville.
- Locally owned grocers such as Cosentino's carry fresh produce sections worth checking out.
Some markets in KC also accept SNAP benefits.
The bottom line: If you're looking to save, don't sleep on local sellers.
Go deeper: The spike in gas and oil prices caused by the Iran war will likely lead to higher food prices.