Your Thanksgiving turkey may cost more this year, but local grocers say shelves are stocked

MARLTON, New Jersey (WPVI) -- Concetta Alcorn of Marlton, New Jersey is hosting Thanksgiving dinner, and she has her shopping strategy all planned out.

"I order a lot of stuff and then I go over to Termini's for desserts. I get it all done and then I start cooking Monday or Tuesday," she said

Alcorn said she's expecting to pay more for her Thanksgiving meal this year, but for a special occasion like this, she's not going to spend too much time shopping around.

"Sometimes it doesn't pay to go here there and everywhere. It's a preference, you know," she said.

At Rastelli's Market Fresh in Marlton, staff says shelves are stocked.

"I think the last two years has really got customers shopping ahead because of shortages of food that they've had in the past," said Director of Operations Chris Mentzer. "We're in a great position this year. Absolutely no shortages in any of the thanksgiving products for this year."

But prices? In many cases, they're up from last year, especially on the all-important turkey.

"The turkey prices are up anywhere from 15-25%, depending on what size turkey you're looking for," said Mentzer.

He adds that while their pre-cooked Thanksgiving meals have gone up in price because of turkey costs, they've added extra sides this year to try to compensate for the increase.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the price of a turkey is up 17% from last year.

If you can forgo tradition, beef and veal prices are actually down 3.6% compared to a year ago.

And while many prices are still high, some items are coming down.

Prices for apples, potatoes and chicken are all lower compared to a month ago.

While the holidays can be expensive, for some it's all about survival.

"I'm hosting about 10 people and I just found out yesterday," said Angela Cimino of Medford.

Her favorite part about Thanksgiving?

"Probably when it's over," she said with a laugh.

Mentzer also says if you're looking to save a few bucks, be flexible with side dishes: sub out a different vegetable if that fits your budget.

And if you're trying to skip the lines, the grocery stores really start filling up on Tuesday.