Memorial day Barbecue Basket 2025

How Much Will Firing Up the Grill Cost This Year?

As Memorial Day approaches, consumers across the country are preparing for one of the most popular grilling weekends of the year. But how are prices for popular barbecue essentials stacking up in 2025 compared to last year? Datasembly has analyzed the prices of popular barbecue essentials from brands like Heinz, Tyson Foods and Bar-S, from the week ending May 17, 2025, comparing this year’s prices to those from 2024. Here’s what we found.

Key Price Changes Across Popular BBQ Items

Our data reveals a much smaller increase for Memorial Day 2025, with some items seeing price increases, while others have become slightly more affordable. Overall, the total cost of a classic Memorial Day barbecue has increased by 3.4%, climbing from $51.23 in 2024 to $53.04 in 2025. This is in stark contrast to the increases we’ve seen over the last two consecutive years.

Notable Price Increases

• Beef Hotdogs: Up 18.9%, from $3.27 to $4.03. In addition to this specific brand, 6% of all hotdogs nationwide experienced a price increase.
• Soda Pop: Up 11.8%, from $8.07 to $9.15. This comes as no surprise as just last week this brand’s list price increased 11% at Harris Teeter, 5% at Hyvee and 29% at Fresh Grocer. 
• Country Style Baked Beans: Up 4.6%, from $2.52 to $2.64
• Mustard: Up 3.5%, from $2.78 to 2.88
• Bone-In Chicken Thighs, 1.75 lb: Up 3.1%, from $2.51 to $2.59

Items Showing Price Declines

• 80/20 Fresh Ground Beef Burgers, 4 ct: Down 3.4%, from $8.16 to $7.89
• American Cheese Slices, 24 ct: Down 1.2%, from $5.77 to $5.70
• Hamburger Buns, 8 ct: Down 2.9%, from $3.56 to $3.46
• Hotdog Buns, 8 ct: Down 2.1%, from $3.49 to $3.42

What Do These Changes Mean?

For retailers and CPGs, understanding these shifts is critical. Price increases in key categories like hotdogs and soda could impact consumer purchasing decisions inviting more economical options like owned brands to play a bigger role.

Meanwhile, slight price drops for staples like ground beef and buns may help balance the cost for budget-conscious shoppers providing the opportunity to further merchandise and incentivize these categories.

How Datasembly Can Help

Datasembly’s real-time pricing insights provide CPGs and retailers with the data they need to make informed decisions, from pricing strategies to promotional planning. Want to know how your brand compares? Contact us to learn more about how our data can keep you ahead of the competition.

Stay tuned for more insights as we continue to monitor and analyze pricing trends throughout the year.