Brits are paying less than last year for some of the most popular Easter eggs as the industry ramps up promotional activity.

Cadbury chocolate eggs are 4.4% cheaper on average, when comparing products sold in w/e 9 March this year against their price in w/e 24 March last year - when Easter fell two weeks later. Meanwhile, Nestlé eggs - which include Smarties and Kit Kat lines - are 4.2% cheaper, while MARS eggs are up 4.2%, Ferrero up 4.1% and Thorntons prices are static. As a result, total branded chocolate eggs are up 1.2% at the big four.

The average price across the category is static, however, with own-label lines down 6% year on year. Tesco has contributed to this by reducing the size of its Finest Medley of Eggs, and cutting the price from £25 to £15.

In terms of retailer activity, Morrisons has driven the decline by slashing the price of branded eggs by 7.3% on average, while prices rose at Tesco and Sainsbury’s - by 2.6% and 3.3% on average respectively - and dipped 0.4% at Asda.

Morrisons is selling some of the most popular branded medium eggs for £1 - in line with Asda - versus £1.50 at Morrisons last year. But Tesco upped the competition on these core lines last week, slashing its price from £1.50 to 75p.

Looking at all Easter eggs - not only those carried this year and last - suggests retailers are changing their product mix to offer lower prices. Across the big four, the average unit price has dropped 9.7% from £3.97 to £4.40, while the average price per kilo has fallen 1.4%.

In terms of promotional strategy, the most popular mechanic is buy-two-for-a-discount, as it was last year. Use of this has increased, with the mechanic accounting for 39.4% of all deals versus 35.2% a year ago.

The trade has moved away from straight money-off ‘save’ promotions - which accounted for more than 10% of offers a year ago but just 4.4% this year. And half-price deals have been virtually abandoned, accounting for just 2% of all deals compared with 13.1% a year ago.

Average depth of promotional cut has increased from 26.7% a year ago to 28.4% this year. Tesco, in particular, is running deeper deals - with discounts of 35.9% on average versus 30.4% last year.

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