Cheaper chicken wings, affordable avocados: Prices for some favorite Super Bowl party snacks are down

Whether they’re Kansas City Chiefs fans, Philadelphia Eagles fans, Rihanna fans or just watching the big game for the commercials, Americans can all cheer for one positive sign this Super Bowl weekend: The prices of some of America’s favorite Super Bowl party snacks are going down.

In a year of seeing prices overall up 6.5%, barely down from the peak last summer, and food prices up 11.8%, the price decrease in some popular football food cravings is welcomed news as food and beverages are the most popular purchase for people watching the big game around the country this weekend.

The price of chicken wings is down 22% from a year ago as poultry producers significantly increased their supply this year. As of early January, the weekly retail price was about $2.65 a pound – down from $3.38 a pound one year ago. 

According to Dr. Michael Swanson, chief agricultural economist at Wells Fargo, producers decided after they were so profitable to put more birds in the barn and feed them better, so there are now more wings available heading into game day. He said a number of items – especially what someone can throw on the grill — are looking better right now.

The price of a sirloin steak, for example, is down nearly $1 per pound from a year ago, going from just over $11 to just over $10. While the cost of hamburgers remains elevated from last year – the price has been trending downward since it peaked in July. The price of bacon is also down amid improvements to supply chains. This year there’s more availability due to investments, which could mean good signs for costs moving forward.

Another fan favorite on Super Bowl Sunday, guacamole, is also looking cheaper than a year ago. Prices for avocados are down 20%. That’s because supply chains for avocados from the West and Mexico have improved, as have shipping rates. Add to that, Mexico had a good crop and producers were ready to move them in time for the big game.

While fresh vegetables overall are more expensive than a year ago, prices have started to come down slightly in recent months for people looking to put together their own veggie trays. People can also score a touchdown when it comes to putting shrimp on their menu this year – demand has dropped, and therefore so have the prices from a year ago.

Despite some good deals to be had for game day, some Super Bowl table items have gone up in price, particularly beverages. The price of soft drinks are up nearly 25% from a year ago after being one of the slower increases last year. The uptick is due to increased costs for ingredients and shipping. But Swanson notes the cost is still quite a bargain with a two-liter bottle around the country still under $2. Another beverage up double digits is beer, which costs about 11% more than a year ago in part due to increased labor, packaging and distribution costs. But the price of wine and other spirits have not increased even half as much year over year and actually ticked down slightly in price at the end of last year for those open to other options.

Swanson pointed out that branded snacks — think tortilla or potato chips — were also up in price, as companies play catch-up from last year. Overall, those snacks are up 11% from a year ago. 

“Luckily, those are some of the smaller ticket items on the table,” Swanson said of foods up in price for the Super Bowl this year. “The good news is the bigger tickets, the proteins, are the ones really seeing the improvements.”

Super Bowl Sunday spending is expected to hit $16.5 billion for food, drinks, apparel and other purchases according to the National Retail Federation, up from $14.6 billion last year as more people are expected to watch the game. That’s about $85 per person. The most popular purchase is food at 79%, followed by apparel at 12% and TVs at 10%. 

The survey found of the 192.9 million people expected to watch the game, more than 103 million plan to throw or attend a party while nearly 18 million will head to a bar or restaurant. For 42% of viewers – it’s the game that’s important, while 18% said the halftime show. Another 19% said they’re watching it for the commercials – explaining why some of the biggest companies are willing to put out $7 million for a 30-second spot during Super Bowl LVII.