The good news? The cost of hosting a Super Bowl party is expected to barely budge this year, with an average increase of about 10 cents from the previous year.
The bad news? Consumers might have to use some fancy footwork to ensure their dollars get further down the field.
Economists with the Wells Fargo Agri-Food Institute found a surprising spread in prices for popular game-day ingredients and prepared foods so finding a balance between more expensive items and those that have dropped in price can help keep the budget from running out of bounds.
They’ve pegged the price for a Super Bowl party menu for 10 people at around $139 this year, just 0.1% more than last year.
While inflation and shrinkflation have been grocery store buzzwords for a while now, coming up with a winning game plan to keep party guests happy could become even more of a challenge as the Trump administration looks for opportunities to impose more tariffs.
With no overarching, easily understood theme to explain everything, the Wells Fargo economists say party planners must become “food fluent” to successfully navigate price fluctuations.
A review of data from NielsenIQ, which tracks food scanned at retailers across the U.S., shows that celery and broccoli are the best veggies for dipping this year, as both have seen price decreases. Potato chips, frozen shrimp and cauliflower also have seen decreases.
Salsa and nacho cheese prices are holding steady, but it can get complicated if guacamole dip is on the menu.
Fresh avocados have jumped by 11.5% compared to last year, but prepared guacamole dip increased by only 1.5%. So making guacamole from scratch can still save money despite the hike in avocado prices. This scenario, the experts say, underscores the broader trend of price variability within categories.
Overall, the review found the total cost of chips and guacamole is just two cents higher than last year.
On the beverage front, beer and wine have seen only 2% increases.
Chicken wings continue to be a favorite, but they come at a premium this year. They’re up by more than 7%, an increase that reflects not just inflation but also a sustained consumer demand that supports higher prices.
On the bright side, retail prices for whole frozen shrimp have decreased by 4%. This is due to increased supply from shrimp-exporting countries and a subsequent softening in demand following price spikes around the coronavirus pandemic. While shrimp is two and half times more expensive per pound than chicken wings, shrimp might be the “Hail Mary” for reaching those protein goals.
