The rows of brightly coloured Easter Egg boxes across supermarket shelves are hiding a dark secret.
For Britain’s biggest chocolate firms have secretly shrunk the nation’s most popular Easter treats.
Brands such as Cadbury, Galaxy, Mars, Twix, KitKat, Smarties, Yorkie, Terrys and Lindt are all involved.
And in the latest example of shrinkflation, prices have not been cut to match the smaller size, while some have even gone up.
Some of the products drawn into what amounts to the Great Easter Egg Robbery even include a number described as ‘large’ or ‘family size’.
BEFORE: KitKat Chunky Milk Chocolate Large Easter Egg weighed 230g and featured two KitKat Chunky bars
AFTER: KitKat Chunky Milk Chocolate Large Easter Egg weighs only 190g and features just one KitKat Chunky bar
The smaller chocolate eggs will be good for waistlines amid concerns about rising obesity, however what amount to stealth price rises are less kind on purses and pockets.
None of the big brands have declared the smaller sizes on packs. However, research by the Daily Mail using data from retail experts Assosia and a separate study by Which? has lifted the lid on the scandal.
For example, the large Mars milk chocolate egg is down from 252g to 201g, a reduction of 20 per cent, yet the price has remained the same at £3.
The Twix milk chocolate Easter egg is down from 246g to 200g and the Galaxy Minstrels Easter Egg has been cut from 234g to 192g. Both are also made by Mars.
The Cadbury Dairy Milk Fruit and Nut Ultimate Chocolate Egg has seen a particularly big reduction, coming down from 532g to 400g, yet the price has remained at £10.
The Cadbury Mini Eggs Large Family Chocolate Bag is down from 296g to 270g.
Nestle’s Smarties Orange Easter Egg Large is down from 226g to 188g, and the Yorkie Milk Chocolate Large Easter Egg has reduced from 242g to 196g.
The sharing Lindt Mini Eggs Canister has been cut from 177g to 155g, yet it has gone up 25 percent from £4 to £5.
And a Terry’s Chocolate Orange Egg plus Mini Eggs has shrunk from 230g to 200g, while the price has gone up 13p to an average of £3.19.
Manufacturers blame the changes reflect sharp increases in the global price of cocoa and other costs, everything from packaging to staff pay and transport.
Research by Which? has identified some enormous price rises on Easter chocolate.
For example, a Maltesers Truffles Luxury Easter Egg (286g) is up from average £8 to £13, which equates to a rise of 62.5 per cent.
At Asda, a Lindt 5 Gold Bunny Milk Chocolate (50g) increased from £2 on average to £3.11 on average – up 55.5 per cent.
At Tesco, a Ferrero Rocher Golden Easter Egg (250g) rose £10 to £15 – up 50 per cent.
BEFORE: Galaxy Minstrels Easter Egg weighed 234G and came with two packs of Minstrels and one egg
AFTER: Galaxy Minstrels Easter Egg weighs only 192G and comes with just one pack of Minstrels and the chocolate egg
BEFORE: Mars milk chocolate large Easter egg weighed 252g and came with two full size Mars bars
AFTER: Mars milk chocolate large Easter egg weighs only 201g and comes with just one full size Mars bar
Ele Clark, Which? Retail Editor, said: ‘Easter eggs are a non-negotiable highlight of Spring for many of us, but paying for your chocolate haul will be more of a stretch this year.
‘Some eggs are over 50 per cent pricier than in 2023 – while others have shrunk in size but not price.’
Governments on both sides of the Atlantic have criticised the deception of shrinkflation and threatened action.
In France, ministers have described it as a ‘swindle’ and some supermarkets are using shelf labels to identify the products involved.
In America, President Joe Biden, even called out shrinkflation in his 2024 State of the Union address.
Mondelez, which owns Cadbury, said: ‘We are continuing to experience significantly higher input costs across our supply chain, with ingredients such as cocoa and sugar, which are widely used in our products, costing far more than they have done previously.
‘Meanwhile, other costs like energy, packaging, and transport, also remain high.
‘As a result of this difficult environment, we have had to make the decision to slightly reduce the weight of a small selection of our Easter products, so that we can keep them competitive, and not compromise on the great taste and quality that our fans enjoy.’
Cadbury Milk Chocolate Mini Easter Eggs (80g) and Cadbury Dairy Milk Mini Eggs Eggs (77g) are both available in store and these packs have not changed.
Nestle said: ‘Each year we introduce a new Easter range with formats, sizes, weights and RRPs based on a range of factors including the cost of manufacturing, ingredients and transport and the preferences of our customers and consumers.’
Mars Wrigley UK, said: ‘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.’
BEFORE | AFTER | 2023 | 2024 | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Mars milk chocolate large Easter egg | 252g | 201g | £3.00 | £3.00 |
Twix milk chocolate Easter egg | 246g | 200g | £3.00 | £3.00 |
Galaxy Minstrels Easter egg | 234g | 192g | £3.00 | £3.00 |
Cadbury Mini Eggs Large Family Chocolate Bag | 296g | 270g | £3.50 | £3.50 |
Cadbury Dairy Milk Fruit and Nut Ultimate Chocolate Egg | 532g | 400g | £10.00 | £10.00 |
KitKat Chunky Milk Chocolate Large Easter Egg | 230g | 190g | £3.50 | £3.50 |
Smarties Orange Easter Egg Large | 226g | 188g | £3.00 | £3.00 |
Yorkie Milk Chocolate Large Easter Egg | 242g | 196g | £3.50 | £3.50 |
Lindt Mini Eggs Canister | 177g | 155g | £4.00 | £5.00 |
Terry’s Chocolate Orange Egg & Mini Eggs | 230g | 200g | £3.06 | £3.19 |
Source: Average prices from Which? |
2023 | 2024 | INCREASE | |
---|---|---|---|
Maltesers Truffles Luxury Easter Egg (286g) | £8 | £13 | 62.5% |
Lindt 5 Gold Bunny Milk Chocolate (50g) | £2 | £3.11 | 55.5% |
Ferrero Rocher Golden Easter Egg (250g) | £10 | £15 | 50.0% |
Cadbury Mini Eggs Large Pouch (1kg) | £8.86 | £12.95 | 46.1% |
Kinder Easter with Surprise (36g) | £1.50 | £2 | 33.3% |
Source: Average prices from Which? |