Some popular Easter eggs from brands including Maltesers, Lindt and Cadbury cost at least 50% more than a year ago, while others have shrunk in size, a study shows.
The overall price of chocolate has increased by 12.6% in a year – significantly more than the 5.6% rise seen on supermarket food and drink generally – after dry weather in West Africa led to a spike in global cocoa prices, according to the Which? supermarket food and drink inflation tracker.
In the steepest example of Easter egg inflation, a 286g Maltesers Truffles Luxury Easter Egg increased from £8 to £13 at Waitrose in the month to the end of February compared with the same time a year ago – an increase of 62.5%.
At Asda, a 50g Lindt Gold Bunny Milk Chocolate five pack increased from an average £2 to £3.11 – up 55.6%.
At Tesco, a 250g Ferrero Rocher Golden Easter Egg rose in price from £10 on average in the month to the end of February last year to £15 on average in the same period this year – an increase of 50%.
Which? also found that at Ocado, a 1kg Cadbury Mini Eggs Large Pouch cost £8.86 on average last February but £12.95 this year, up 46.2%.
At Sainsbury’s, a Kinder Easter with Surprise 36g rose in price from £1.50 on average to £2, or a 33.3% increase.
Which? did not include loyalty card prices or multibuys in its analysis.
As well as price increases, it also found examples of “shrinkflation” with a Mars milk chocolate large Easter egg diminishing from 252g last year to 201g this February at Morrisons and Tesco.
Similarly, a Terry’s chocolate orange Easter egg and mini eggs shrank from 230g last year to 200g this year at Asda, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s and Tesco, while a Smarties chocolate orange egg fell from 226g to 188g at Asda and Tesco.
Which? retail editor Ele Clark said: “Easter eggs are a non-negotiable highlight of spring for many of us, but Which? has found that paying for your chocolate haul will be more of a stretch this year.
“Some eggs are over 50% pricier than in 2023, while others have shrunk in size but not price.
“To ensure you get the best value for money on your Easter chocolate, shop around and compare the price per gram across different pack sizes, retailers and brands.”
Waitrose said: “We work incredibly hard to keep prices down and also have a wide range of special offers to help customers make even greater savings.
“Thanks to our ongoing focus on price, the eggs that feature in this study are now considerably cheaper than the prices quoted. The Maltesers Egg, for example, is available for £8.50 rather than £13.”
A spokesman for Mars Wrigley UK, which makes Mars, Maltesers and Twix, said: “Our focus is always on ensuring that we offer our great tasting, high quality chocolate at the best possible value.
“We have been actively trying to find ways to absorb the rising costs of raw materials and operations, as we know the increase in the cost of living has impacted both consumers and businesses across the UK. Unfortunately, the growing pressures mean that more needs to be done.
“Reducing the size of some of our products, whilst raising prices, is not a decision we have taken lightly but it is necessary for shoppers to still be able to enjoy their favourite Easter eggs without compromising on quality or taste.”
Nestle, which makes Smarties, said: “Like every manufacturer, we have been experiencing significant cost increases making it much more expensive to manufacture our products. We have been working to be more efficient and absorb increasing costs where possible.
“However, in order to maintain the same high quality and delicious taste that consumers know and love, it has sometimes been necessary to make adjustments to the weight of some of our products. Retail pricing is always at the sole discretion of individual retailers.”
