Easter 2024 could be remembered as the year of record “eggflation” as the cost of the nation’s favourite springtime treat boils over – soaring by over 50% for some household-name brands.
Consumer group Which? has warned shoppers of the rise into the four-day weekend, which shops and hospitality businesses are counting on to give them a boost after a long, wet winter.
The weather is behind the price rises. Cocoa producers in West Africa have been struggling with a dry spell, meaning falling yields have sent prices for the crop on global markets have doubled in a year.
Which? has run the numbers and found that the “worst example of Easter egg inflation” is a 286 gram “Maltesers Truffles Luxury” egg sold at Waitrose.
It “went from an average £8 to an average £13” in the month to the end of February. That is an increase of almost 63%. A “Lindt 5 Gold Bunny Milk Chocolate 50g” egg at Asda rose from “£2 on average to £3.11 on average”, up almost 56%.
The comparisons the group made took “regular discounts” into account, but not “loyalty prices or multibuys.”
There was also a bout of “shrinkflation”, where products are reduced in size, but prices do not, or even go up.
Which? said: “A Mars milk chocolate large Easter egg was 252g in 2023 but was 201g in 2024 at Morrisons and Tesco.
“Similarly, a Terry's chocolate orange Easter egg and mini eggs changed from 230g in 2023 to 200g in 2024 at Asda, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s and Tesco.
“A Smarties chocolate orange egg changed from 226g to 188g at Asda and Tesco.”
A Waitrose spokesperson told Which? that the Maltesers egg which was singled out in its report was now priced at £8.50 “thanks to our ongoing focus on price”.
Ele Clark, retail editor at Which? said: “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.”
