🛒 Summit Staples: Fort Wayne Grocery Price Tracker

📊 Week 3: Produce

🆕 Aldi Joins the Report

Starting this week, we’ve added Aldi (46818) to our price tracking. Including a fourth store gives Summit Staples more depth and reflects how many Fort Wayne families actually shop. Aldi often comes in cheapest on produce; as we saw with bananas and carrots this week,  but not always, which makes the comparisons even more useful.

📌 Why We Collect This Data

National headlines about inflation can feel abstract. By tracking real, local grocery prices each week, Summit Staples provides a Fort Wayne-specific view of how much everyday staples cost.

Over a month, we’ll cover 20 items. At the end of the month, we’ll publish the Summit Staples Snapshot; a basket-wide look at where prices are heading. And each quarter, we’ll release the Summit Staples Index, a deeper dive to compare Fort Wayne’s grocery trends with national inflation reports like the CPI.

📊 Recap of Weeks 1–3

• Week 1 (Dairy & Basics): Milk, eggs, butter, bread, and coffee — with Walmart and Meijer trading penny-for-penny.

• Week 2 (Proteins & Pantry): Beef remained high across the board (~$6.70/lb), while pasta and canned veggies stayed under $1.

• Week 3 (Produce): Apples show the widest spread — from $1.99 at Aldi to $5.39 at Meijer. Bananas remain stable within a few cents everywhere.

🌽 Statewide Context

Across Indiana, produce prices are mirroring what we see in Fort Wayne:

• Fruit prices remain volatile depending on harvests and distribution costs.

• Root vegetables (like potatoes and carrots) are holding fairly steady.

• Greens (lettuce especially) are experiencing small upticks tied to transport costs.

This suggests Fort Wayne families are experiencing the same pressures seen statewide, just with local flavor based on store competition.

📌 Disclaimer

Prices were recorded on Tuesday, September 30, 2025 @ 11:53 AM from:

• Walmart (46818)

• Meijer (46818)

• Kroger (46825)

• Aldi (46818)

Prices may vary by location, time of day, sales, promotions, or availability. Summit Staples is designed to track overall trends, not guarantee exact prices at checkout.

👉 Your Turn!
What are you seeing when you shop? Have you spotted a great deal or a big price jump on your grocery run? Share your finds (and shout-out local bargains!) in our Summit City Scoop Facebook Group. Your input may be featured in next week’s update!