Meijer vs Target: Who has cheaper groceries?
Meijer is a large grocery chain in the middle area of the US. Target is similar to Walmart and is available in every state. Not every Target has a huge grocery selection, but most of the ones in big cities do have it.
We are going to build a meal plan and grocery list, then use them to compare prices at Meijer and Walmart to determine who is cheaper for groceries. Scroll to the end to see the final verdict!
Is Target more expensive than Meijer?
For this price comparison, I have made a meal plan for a family of 4 using “25 Cheap food that fills you up when you are broke!” as a guide. Our plan is to get groceries for a week that are healthy and cheap!
Here is our meal plan:
Breakfasts
- Chocolate Banana Overnight Oats
- Easy Sausage Muffins (1cup of Biscuit Mix, 1 lb of sausage, 4 eggs, 1 cup of cheese)
- Scrambled Eggs with Biscuits and applesauce
Lunches
- Pepperoni Pizza Quesadillas
- Salad with Hard Boiled Eggs x2
- Leftover Chicken & Salad Wraps
- Dinner Leftovers
Dinners
- Eggroll in a Bowl (1 lb ground turkey, 1/2 bag of coleslaw mix, soy sauce)
- Kielbasa Sausage, Potato, Squash Sheet Pan Bake
- Baked Chicken Thighs, Soy Sauce Rice, and California Blend Vegetables
- Chicken Parmesan Pasta (chicken breasts, pasta, tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese, breadcrumbs) with side salad
- BBQ Chicken Wraps with Coleslaw (1/2 bag of coleslaw mix)
- Cheesy Shepherd’s Pie (ground turkey, mash potatoes, tomato sauce, frozen peas and cheese) with Biscuits
Snacks
- Bananas
- Celery with Ranch or Peanut Butter
- Homemade Granola Bars (peanut butter, quick oats, and chocolate chips)
- Applesauce
Sweet Treat
- Peach Cobbler (using biscuit mix and canned peaches)
For this price comparison, I am using prices available in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. I will be selecting items for our meal plan that are the absolute cheapest.
This means mostly generic store brand options and the smallest size needed. This may not be the best value, but we are going for the cheapest option.
We are assuming that we already have kitchen basics like cooking oil, seasonings, salt/pepper, and baking powder at home. Everything else needed for the meal plan will need to be purchased.
For a more in depth break down on how I would make this meal plan work, check out “Healthy Grocery List for Family of 4 on a Budget #4.”
Produce Section
This is all the fresh vegetables and fruits we need for the week.
| Item | Target Price | Meijer Price |
| 6 bananas | $0.19 each = $1.14 | $0.62 a Lb = $1.86 |
| Celery | Celery Hearts 1lb bag= $2.99 | 1 stalk= $2.19 |
| Coleslaw Mix | Good & Gather 8oz bag = $1.79 | Pearson 8oz bag= $1.49 |
| Potatoes | 5lb bag of Russets = $2.19 | 5lb bag of Russets = $2.59 |
| Yellow Squash | *substitution* 12oz frozen butternut squash = $1.99 | $0.75 each *on sale* |
| Cucumber | English cucumber = $1.59 each | $0.69 each |
| Roma Tomato x4 | 1lb bag= $1.59 | $1.20 a lb = $1.20 |
| Total: (7 items) | $13.28 | $10.77 |
Meijer came out cheaper with a total of $10.77. This was $2.51 cheaper than Target’s total of $13.28.
Target did not have yellow squash in stock, so I substituted frozen butternut squash because that was the cheapest option.
Deli/Meats
This is all the meats that we will need from the deli and meat counter.
| Item | Target Price | Meijer Price |
| 1lb ground sausage | Good & Gather turkey sausage 1lb roll = $3.79 | Festive turkey sausage 1lb roll = $2.19 |
| Pepperoni | Market Pantry 6oz bag= $2.79 | Armour 5oz bag= $2.29 |
| 2lb ground turkey | Jennie-O 1lb roll $3.59 x 2= $7.18 | Meijer 1lb roll $2.49 x 2= $4.98 |
| Kielbasa Style Sausage | Eckrich 14oz = $3.69 | Meijer 12oz = $2.99 * on sale* |
| Chicken Thighs | Tyson $4.49 a lb (2.9lbs) = $13.19 | Meijer $1.99 a lb (4.4lb) = $8.90 |
| Chicken Breasts | Good & Gather frozen breasts 40oz = $7.69 | Meijer $4.79 a lb (2.1lb) = $10.25 |
| Total: (6 items) | $38.33 | $31.60 |
Meijer came in cheaper again with a total of $31.60. This was $6.73 cheaper than Target’s total of $38.33.
Dry Goods
This is all the dry goods and shelf stable items that we need for our meal plan.
| Item | Target Price | Meijer Price |
| Quick Oats | Good & Gather 18oz container = $1.89 | Meijer 18oz container = $2.79 |
| Chocolate Chips | Good & gather 11.5oz bag = $1.99 | Meijer 12oz bag = $2.09 |
| Biscuit Mix | Krusteaz Pancake Mix 32oz box = $2.89 | Bisquick 20oz box = $2.89 |
| Flour Tortillas | Market Pantry 8ct = $1.69 | El Ray 10ct = $1.29 |
| Tomato Pasta Sauce | Good & Gather 24oz jar = $1.59 | Meijer 24oz jar = $1.44 |
| Ranch Dressing | Market Pantry 16oz bottle = $1.99 | Meijer 16oz bottle = $1.59 |
| Peanut Butter | Good & Gather 16oz jar = $1.69 | Meijer 16oz jar = $2.19 |
| Soy sauce | Market Pantry 15oz bottle = $1.69 | Meijer 10oz bottle = $1.69 |
| White Rice | Good & Gather 1lb bag= $.89 | Riceland 2lb bag = $1.59 * on sale* |
| Pasta | Good & gather penne 16oz box = $0.95 | Meijer Rotini 16oz box = $1.00 |
| Breadcrumbs | Market Pantry 15oz container = $1.19 | Meijer 15oz container = $1.19 |
| BBQ sauce | Open Pit 18oz bottle = $1.19 | Open Pit 18oz bottle = $1.09 *on sale* |
| salad dressing for coleslaw | *Substitution* Apple Cider Vinaigrette Good & gather 2oz bottle = $2.79 | Kraft 16oz bottle = $2.79 |
| Canned peaches | Market Pantry 14.5oz can = $0.99 | Del Monte 15.5 oz can = $2.09 |
| Applesauce | Good & Gather 46oz jar = $2.89 | Meijer 46oz jar= $2.89 |
| Total: (15 items) | $26.31 | $28.61 |
Target came out cheaper with a total of $26.31. This was $2.30 cheaper than Meijer at $28.61.
Frozen Foods
These are the frozen items needed for this week’s meal plan.
| Item | Target Price | Meijer Price |
| California Blend Vegetables | Good & Gather 12oz bag = $0.99 | Meijer 12oz bag = $0.89 |
| Frozen Peas | Good & Gather 12oz bag = $0.89 | Meijer 12oz bag = $0.89 |
| Total: (2 items) | $1.88 | $1.78 |
Meijer came in just slightly cheaper at $1.78. This was $0.10 cheaper than Target at $1.88.
Dairy Section
These are all the dairy items needed like milk and cheeses.
| Item | Target Price | Meijer Price |
| Eggs | Good & Gather 12ct white = $1.99 | Penny Smart 12ct white = $2.79 |
| Shredded Cheddar Cheese | Good & Gather 8oz bag = $2.29 | Meijer 8oz bag = $1.88 *on sale* |
| Shredded Mozzarella Cheese | Good & Gather 8oz bag = $2.29 | Meijer 8oz bag = $1.88 *on sale* |
| 2% milk | Good & Gather gallon= $3.19 | Meijer gallon = $3.06 |
| Total: (4 items) | $9.76 | $9.61 |
Another close section with Meijer coming in cheaper at $9.61. This was $0.15 cheaper than Target with a total of $9.76.
Is Target or Meijer cheaper?
This was like a tennis match of cheaper in each section. Let’s check out the overall totals.
| Section | Target Price | Meijer Price |
| Produce | $13.28 | $10.77 |
| Deli/Meats | $38.33 | $31.60 |
| Dry Goods | $26.31 | $28.61 |
| Frozen Foods | $1.88 | $1.78 |
| Dairy | $9.76 | $9.61 |
| Overall Total: (34 items) | $89.56 | $82.37 |
Meijer came out cheaper with a total of $82.37. This was $7.19 (about 8%) cheaper than Target with a total of $82.37.
If you have a Target Red Card you could potentially save another 5% on your total, so that would make the stores closer in overall price.
In order to maximize savings, I would use the weekly sales flyer from Meijer and build a solid meal plan every week. If you utilize what you already have in your pantry and freezer, you could possibly get your total under $75 per week.
For more grocery store comparisons, check out “Meijer vs Walmart: Who is cheaper?” and “Sprouts vs Walmart: Who is Cheaper for Groceries?“
