We checked prices at 6 Fort Worth grocery stores to find the best values

Grocery prices are up 1.9 percent from February 2024 to February 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

With rising costs, it may be in one’s best interest to shop at the cheapest stores. But who has time to price-check the various stores around town?

Well, we did.

The Star-Telegram’s service journalism team set out to price-check 27 common grocery list items at six well-shopped stores in Fort Worth during the week of March 24.

According to 2023 market share numbers, Walmart reigns as the most popular grocer in the D-FW area.

Our price check determines the most affordable grocer in Fort Worth. We went to Aldi, H-E-B, Kroger, Target, Tom Thumb and Walmart. Here’s what we found.

Methodology

To gather the data, our team created a shopping list of 27 everyday items.

At all six stores, we looked at the lowest prices, which ended up being each store’s generic brand. Of course, to make all the data consistent, we compared items that were the same value in weight.

However, there are a few specifics you should know.

• All produce recorded was not organic.

• We only looked at regular prices, not member or discounted prices.

• Kroger’s store brand is “Kroger.”

• Tom Thumb’s generic brand is labeled as “Signature” or “Lucerne” for dairy products.

• Aldi’s cheapest brand is commonly “Friendly Farms” or “Simply Nature.”

• H-E-B’s store brand is “H-E-B,” but their cheapest option is sometimes “Hill Country Fare.”

• Target generic brands can be found under “Good & Gather” or “Favorite Day” for dairy products. Some bread and grain products are under “Market Pantry.”

• Walmart’s generic brand is “Great Value.”

Lastly, it’s important to know which stores we shopped at.

• Aldi: 5617 S Hulen St., Fort Worth.

• H-E-B: 3451 Heritage Trace Pkwy., Fort Worth

• Kroger: 3120 S University Drive, Fort Worth

• Target: 301 Carroll St, Fort Worth

• Tom Thumb: 3100 S Hulen St, Fort Worth

• Walmart: 6300 Oakmont Blvd., Fort Worth

Which Fort Worth grocery store has the cheapest prices?

Note: This is not a scientific study, but it is a real reflection of items’ prices at grocery stores in Fort Worth during the week of March 24, 2025.

Out of the six stores, we found that Aldi overall has the cheapest prices.

Based on the total sum of the grocery list, these are how the stores rank from cheapest to most expensive:

1. Aldi
2. Walmart
3. Kroger
4. Target
5. H-E-B
6. Tom Thumb

However, some stores were found to have the best deals on certain types of products.

• H-E-B has the best deal on produce (cheapest prices on apples and lettuce).
• Walmart stands out with its pantry product prices (canned tuna, olive oil, black beans and bread).
• Aldi wins in dairy (best prices for a dozen eggs, a gallon of milk and vanilla ice cream).

How do Fort Worth grocery store prices compare?

Some data analysis in this story was conducted using AI. For more information on how the Star-Telegram and McClatchy newsrooms are using AI, go here.

Clarification: This story has been updated to correct the price of gala apples at Aldi.

This story was originally published March 31, 2025 at 12:00 AM.

Ella Gonzales

Fort Worth Star-Telegram

Ella Gonzales is a service journalism reporter for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. She is part of a team of local journalists who answer reader questions and write about life in North Texas. Ella mainly writes about local restaurants and where to find good deals around town.