Grocery prices are projected to climb again in 2026, and every percentage point off your bill matters more than ever. The good news: a number of grocery chains still run senior discount days that can knock 5 to 10 percent off your total, and stacking that discount with a loyalty card and weekly sale prices can add up to real savings over a year. Below is a store-by-store rundown of who offers a senior discount, the day and age you need to qualify, and the chains that no longer offer one at all — verified against AARP’s current supermarket senior discount guide.
Why Senior Discount Days Matter More in 2026
The USDA’s Food Price Outlook has repeatedly flagged continued increases in grocery costs, and even a modest year-over-year rise adds up fast for anyone on a fixed income. A senior discount alone won’t offset every price hike, but it doesn’t have to work alone.
The real savings show up when you stack a store’s senior discount day with:
– A free loyalty or rewards card (often required just to unlock the discount)
– The store’s weekly circular sale prices
– Manufacturer coupons or store digital coupons
Combined, these can meaningfully lower a weekly grocery bill — especially for shoppers who plan their big shopping trip around their store’s designated senior discount day.
Grocery Chains With Regular Senior Discounts
Discount percentages, days, and age requirements vary by chain and sometimes even by individual store location, so treat the details below as a starting point and always confirm with your local store before you shop.
Albertsons
Discount and eligibility vary by location, and only select stores participate. Ask your local Albertsons whether a senior discount day is currently offered before you plan around it.
Bashas’
10% off your purchase on the first Wednesday of every month for customers 55 and older. You must use a Bashas’ Thank You rewards card to get the discount, and it does not apply to prescriptions, alcohol, tobacco, postage stamps, gift cards, Western Union transactions, taxes, fuel, or lottery tickets. Available at Arizona locations.
Brookshire’s
5% off every Tuesday and Thursday for shoppers 60 and older. You’ll need a Brookshire’s Thank You card and must ask for the discount at checkout — it isn’t applied automatically. The discount excludes milk and other dairy products in Louisiana, and alcohol, tobacco, and fuel in some states. Found in Arkansas, Louisiana, Texas, and Oklahoma.
Food Bazaar
10% off Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., with weekly circular sale items excluded. The minimum qualifying age varies by location, so check with your nearest store. Food Bazaar operates in Connecticut, New Jersey, and New York.
Fred Meyer
10% off select items — including private-brand groceries, apparel, shoes, accessories, home goods, and most electronics — on the first Tuesday of every month, in-store or online for pickup or same-day delivery. You must be 55 or older. Found in Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington.
Fry’s Food Store
10% off most items in the store on the first Wednesday of the month for shoppers 55 and older. Fry’s is part of the Kroger family and operates in Arizona.
Gristedes
10% off your purchase every Tuesday for customers 65 and older. This is a New York City-only discount, available at Gristedes locations in Manhattan and Brooklyn.
Harris Teeter (Club 60)
5% off your bill every Thursday for shoppers 60 and older. You need a valid VIC rewards card to receive the discount. Available across Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, and Washington, D.C.
Kroger
Kroger’s senior discount isn’t company-wide — it’s decided division by division, so whether (and how much) you get depends on your local Kroger operating division. As one example, Kroger’s Columbus, Ohio division has given customers 55 and older 5% off in-store purchases one day a week. This division-by-division approach also applies to Kroger-owned banners such as Fred Meyer, Fry’s, Gerbes, Jay C Food Store, King Soopers, Mariano’s, Metro Market, Pay-Less Super Markets, Pick’n Save, QFC, Ralphs, Ruler, and Smith’s Food and Drug — so always check with your specific local store rather than assuming a company-wide policy.
New Seasons Market
10% off most items in the store every Wednesday for shoppers 65 and older. Found at New Seasons Market locations in Portland, Oregon, and Vancouver, Washington.
Super 1 Foods
5% off most purchases every Tuesday and Thursday for shoppers 60 and older. A photo ID is required to confirm your age. Available in Arkansas, Louisiana, and Texas.
Tops Markets (“Young at Heart Day”)
6% off your entire grocery bill and out-of-pocket prescription drug purchases on the first Tuesday of every month — branded as “Young at Heart Day.” You must be 60 or older and use a Tops BonusPlus card. Found in New York, Pennsylvania, and Vermont.
Weis Markets
10% off participating Weis-branded products every Tuesday for shoppers 60 and older. Available in Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia.
Chains That Do Not Offer Senior Discounts
Not every major grocery chain has a senior discount program, and some have been explicit about it:
– Aldi — A company spokesperson said Aldi “typically does not offer discounts,” pointing instead to its already low-cost pricing model.
– Food Lion — Does not offer a senior discount; the chain says it keeps prices affordable for everyone through weekly promotions and its MVP loyalty program instead.
– Stop & Shop — Confirmed to AARP that it does not offer a senior discount.
– Trader Joe’s — Does not offer senior discounts or other promotional discounts, saying it focuses on keeping everyday prices low for all customers.
– Whole Foods Market / Amazon Fresh — No senior-specific discount, though Amazon offers a reduced-cost Prime membership (Prime Access) for qualifying customers, which includes Whole Foods benefits.
Safeway and Giant are on AARP’s list too: neither has a corporate-wide senior day, though individual stores may run one, so ask at your local store.
Worth noting: Wegmans, ShopRite, and Publix were also asked about senior discount policies and did not confirm one way or the other, so if you shop at those chains, it’s best to ask your local store directly rather than assume either way.
Plan Your Week Around the Discount Days
Looking at the list store by store makes it hard to see the pattern. Sorted by day, it’s clearer why Tuesday is the busiest day for senior discounts (all per AARP’s guide, and subject to your local store’s rules):
| When | Chain | Discount | Minimum age |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monday to Friday, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. | Food Bazaar | 10% | Varies by store |
| Every Tuesday | Gristedes | 10% | 65+ |
| Every Tuesday | Weis Markets (Weis-brand products only) | 10% | 60+ |
| Every Tuesday and Thursday | Brookshire’s | 5% | 60+ |
| Every Tuesday and Thursday | Super 1 Foods | 5% | 60+ |
| Every Wednesday | New Seasons Market | 10% | 65+ |
| Every Thursday | Harris Teeter (Club 60) | 5% | 60+ |
| First Tuesday of the month | Fred Meyer (select items) | 10% | 55+ |
| First Tuesday of the month | Tops Markets | 6% | 60+ |
| First Wednesday of the month | Bashas’ | 10% | 55+ |
| First Wednesday of the month | Fry’s Food Store | 10% | 55+ |
What the Discount Is Worth in Dollars
Say your household spends $120 on a typical weekly shop. Here is how the same basket plays out under three kinds of programs:
- Weekly 5% day (like Harris Teeter or Brookshire’s): $6 off per trip. Going every week for a year works out to about $312, if you shop the discount day every time.
- Weekly 10% day (like Gristedes): $12 off per trip, or roughly $624 a year at the same pace.
- Once-a-month 10% day (like Bashas’ or Fry’s): the discount only applies one day a month, so the trick is to put a larger stock-up trip there. A $250 monthly shop saves $25, or about $300 a year, and the other weeks run at regular prices.
Watch the fine print, because it can shrink the number. At Weis, the 10% covers Weis-brand products only: if $45 of your $120 basket is store brand, the discount is $4.50, not $12. At Brookshire’s in Louisiana, dairy is excluded, so a basket heavy on milk and cheese saves less. These are illustrations with made-up baskets, not a promise of what your store will take off.
Tips to Maximize Grocery Savings as a Senior
– Sign up for the store’s loyalty or rewards card. Several of the discounts above — including Bashas’, Brookshire’s, Harris Teeter, and Tops — require a rewards card just to activate the senior discount, and it’s free to join.
– Ask before you check out. Policies vary by individual store location and change without much notice, so a quick question to a cashier or manager before you start shopping can save you a wasted trip.
– Stack it with sales and coupons. A senior discount day is a good anchor for your bigger shopping trips, but combining it with the weekly circular sale prices and manufacturer or digital coupons is where the real savings add up.
– Bring ID if it’s required. A few chains, like Super 1 Foods, ask for a photo ID to confirm eligibility.
FAQ
What is the minimum age for most senior grocery discounts?
Most programs start at either 55 or 60, though a few — like Gristedes and New Seasons Market — require you to be 65 or older. The minimum age varies store by store, so check the specific chain before you shop.
Do senior discounts apply to prescriptions, alcohol, or gift cards?
It depends on the store. Bashas’, for example, excludes prescriptions, alcohol, tobacco, postage stamps, gift cards, Western Union, and taxes. Tops Markets is a notable exception in that its “Young at Heart Day” discount does extend to out-of-pocket prescription purchases. Always ask what’s excluded at your specific store.
Are there similar senior discounts at pharmacies or restaurants?
Many pharmacies and restaurant chains run their own separate senior discount programs, but the details (age, day, and percentage) are set independently of any grocery store discount, so they need to be checked separately.
Grocery senior discounts change fairly often — a chain can add, adjust, or discontinue a program with little notice — so treat this guide as a starting point and confirm current details with your local store before you plan a big shopping trip around it.
Related: how grocery prices differ between stores in the same city and a practical grocery budget plan for a fixed income.