The Which? investigation discovered that at Tesco supermarkets, the price of a Twix white chocolate Easter egg had increased from £5 to £6 year-on-year while shrinking from 316g to 258g. In terms of cost per 100g, that is a rise of 47%.
It also found that the price of a five-pack of mixed 200g Cadbury Creme Eggs sold at Morrisons had increased from £2.62 last year to £4 this year.
'Shrinkflation'
Confectionery companies claim they are trying to maintain both quality and value for the consumer. But these changes are affected by so-called ‘shrinkflation, ’ a term used when pack sizes are reduced, prices stay the same, or even rise.
However, according to Which? research, the price of chocolate Easter eggs made by big brands like Cadbury and Mars has risen by as much as 50% this year in some cases, while some have also shrunk in size.
Despite increasing prices and shrinkflation, Which? money and retail editor Reena Sewraz said it was still possible to get good value Easter eggs in the UK.
She told the BBC that consumers could do so by "looking for special offers, comparing the price per gram, or if you can, holding out until Easter Sunday, when many of the eggs are likely to be reduced."
The Which? report follows official figures published earlier this week by the UK industry body the Food and Drink Federation (FDF), which showed that food prices rose by almost 4% in February overall, but the cost of chocolate was up by a colossal 16.5%.
The FDF reported that confidence is falling among UK food and drink manufacturers despite inflation slowing to 2.8% in February. Pressures, including energy, labour, and raw material costs, are impacting costs.
Anthony Myers
The global price of cocoa has risen sharply since 2023, reaching a record high in January this year, mainly due to climate change affecting cocoa-growing countries in West Africa.
cocoaradar.com is:
- Official Media Partner - World Cocoa Foundation Partnership Meeting in São Paulo, Brazil, 19-20 March 2025.
- Official Media Partner - Amsterdam Sustainable Cocoa Conference, Chocoa, 4-9 February 2025.
- 'From Our Desk. To Yours'
- Sign-up here for free and upgrade to an annual plan with a 35% discount