Easter egg ‘shrinkflation’ double whammy hits customers as prices rise nearly 50% | EUROtoday

Shoppers are being hit with huge value rises for easter eggs this 12 months along with merchandise shrinking in measurement, new analysis has discovered.

This “double whammy” impact has seen some merchandise enhance in value per gram by as a lot as 44 per cent, client group Which? has warned, as buyers pay extra for much less.

By monitoring round 25,000 merchandise throughout main UK supermarkets, the buyer champion discovered that shrinkflation “has become a prevalent trend in the seasonal aisle” at a number of retailers.

For occasion, a Galaxy Milk Chocolate Extra Large Easter Egg at Asda went from £4.98 for 252g in 2025 to £5.97 for 210g in 2026 – a 44 per cent enhance within the value per gram.

Meanwhile, the identical Galaxy Easter egg went from £6 to £7 at Tesco, regardless of seeing the identical shrinkage, for a value per gram enhance of 40 per cent.

Food inflation evaluation from Which? discovered that, regardless of meals inflation reducing to three.6 per cent in January from 4.5 per cent in December, the price of chocolate has surged to 9.7 per cent.

Chocolate producers have stated poor crop yields on cocoa farms attributable to local weather change is a part of the explanation for rising costs.

Which? steered buyers take a look at the unit value (the worth per 100g or 100ml) to search out essentially the most cost-effective offers. Its researchers additionally repeatedly discover discounters Aldi and Lidl to be good choices for households aiming to economize on their weekly grocery store.

Reena Sewraz, Which? retail editor, stated: “It’s disappointing to see Easter treats aren’t safe from shrinkflation, with some products going up in price significantly, even though they’re smaller than last year. Manufacturers are quietly giving shoppers less for more, so it’s no wonder people feel cheated when they get less bang for their buck.

“To ensure you’re getting a fair deal, always check the ‘price per 100g’ on the shelf edge label rather than just the headline price. This is the only way to accurately compare different brands and sizes to ensure you are bagging a genuine bargain.”

A spokesperson for Mars Wrigley, which owns the Galaxy, M&Ms and Maltesers manufacturers, stated: “We always aim to absorb rising costs wherever possible, however, ongoing pressures, including the well-documented rises in the cost of cocoa, mean we have had to make carefully considered changes to ensure shoppers can continue to enjoy their favourite Easter treats without any compromise on the quality or taste they expect from Mars.

“As with all our products, final pricing remains at the discretion of individual retailers.”

A spokesperson for Tesco stated that the costs quoted by Which? don’t replicate the costs that almost all prospects pays attributable to not accounting for Clubcard costs.

A spokesperson added: “Through our unique combination of Aldi Price Match, Everyday Low Prices and Clubcard Prices we are focussed on delivering great value for our customers, however they choose to shop with us.”

Asda was approached for remark.