CHOCOLATE fans are being hit with shrinking sizes and increasing prices when picking up their Easter treats this year.
Several popular Easter eggs from brands including Maltesers, Lindt and Cadbury now cost at least 50% more than a year ago.
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The overall price of chocolate has increased by 12.6% in a year, compared to a 5.6% rise seen on supermarket food and drink generally, Which? has found.
It comes after dry weather in West Africa led to a spike in global cocoa prices.
In the steepest example of inflation, Which? found 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 of £2 to £3.11 – up 55.6%.
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At Tesco, a 250g Ferrero Rocher Golden Easter Egg rose in price from £10 to £15 on average – 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.
All prices were averages in the one month to the end of February 2023, compared to the same period this year.
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However, it’s important to note loyalty card prices or multibuys were not included in the Which? analysis.
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As well as price increases, the consumer champion 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.
While shoppers may think that shrinking products is a sneaky tactic, there are no rules against it as long as the packaging is labelled with the correct size, weight and ingredients.
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.
“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.”
All supermarkets and manufacturers of Mars, Smarties, Terrys and Twix were contacted for comment.
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.”
It added that the eggs featured in the tracker are now actually cheaper – with the Maltesers egg setting shoppers back £8.50 instead of £13.
Full examples of Easter egg changes
BELOW are the results of the Which? tracker.
Price increases between February 2023 and February 2024:
- Maltesers Truffles Luxury Easter Egg 286g – up from £8 to £13 at Waitrose
- Lindt 5 Gold Bunny Milk Chocolate 50g – up from £2 to £3.11 at Asda
- Ferrero Rocher Golden Easter Egg 250g – up from £10 to £15 at Tesco
- Cadbury Mini Eggs Large Pouch 1kg – up from £8.86 to £12.96 at Ocado
- Kinder Easter with Surprise 36g – up from £1.50 to £2 at Sainsbury’s
Examples of shrinking packs between 2023 and 2024:
- Mars milk chocolate large Easter egg – down from 252g to 201g at Morrisons and Asda
- Terry’s chocolate orange Easter egg and mini eggs – down from 230g to 200g at Asda, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s and Tesco
- Smarties chocolate orange egg – down from 226g to 188g at Asda and Tesco
- Twix milk chocolate Easter egg – down from 246g to 200g at Tesco
A spokesman for Mars Wrigley UK, which makes Mars, Maltesers and Twix, said the price increases come due to rising costs of raw materials and operations.
They added: “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.”
While Nestle, which makes Smarties, said: “Like every manufacturer, we have been experiencing significant cost increases making it much more expensive to manufacture our products.
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“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.”
How can I save on my supermarket shop?
THERE are plenty of ways to save on your grocery shop.
You can look out for yellow or red stickers on products, which show when they’ve been reduced.
If the food is fresh, you’ll have to eat it quickly or freeze it for another time.
Making a list should also save you money, as you’ll be less likely to make any rash purchases when you get to the supermarket.
Going own brand can be one easy way to save hundreds of pounds a year on your food bills too.
This means ditching “finest” or “luxury” products and instead going for “own” or value” type of lines.
Plenty of supermarkets run wonky veg and fruit schemes where you can get cheap prices if they’re misshapen or imperfect.
For example, Lidl runs its Waste Not scheme, offering boxes of 5kg of fruit and vegetables for just £1.50.
If you’re on a low income and a parent, you may be able to get up to £442 a year in Healthy Start vouchers to use at the supermarket too.
Plus, many councils offer supermarket vouchers as part of the Household Support Fund.
