Easter eggs and chocolate bunnies have shot up in price by as much as 50% in the mults this year, following a short crop of cocoa from west Africa.
Of 281 lines available this year and last across the traditional big four supermarkets, 258 (91.8%) have risen in price, 14 (5.0%) have stayed the same and just nine (3.2%) are cheaper, The Grocer’s analysis of Assosia data shows [11 March 2024 vs 31 March 2025].
Products that have risen in price are up by an average 21.5%, with a handful climbing by as much as 50%. Baileys Chocolate Easter Egg 225g, for instance, is up 50% from £8 to £12 in Sainsbury’s. However, it is £10 with Nectar Prices.
M&M’s Easter Hollow Milk Chocolate 100g is up 50% in Tesco, from £2 to £3. Tesco’s own-label Easter Milk Chocolate Bunny 100g is also up 50%, from £1 to £1.50.
Cadbury Dairy Milk Chocolate Hollow Bunny 100g is 49.6%, from £2.50 to £3.74, in Asda. Asda’s Hollow White Chocolate Bunny 115g is up 49.3%, from £1.50 to £2.24.
Dairy-free brand NOMO has also seen price hikes. Its Vegan Monsters Creamy Choc Egg With Crispy Pieces & Lolly 92g is up 40.8%, from £3.55 to £5, in Tesco. Meanwhile, its Caramel Egg & Bar 148g is up 30.8%, from £6.50 to £8.50, in Sainsbury’s.
Cocoa crunch
It comes after a short crop of cocoa from west Africa in the 2023/24 season triggered a run on the commodity, causing cocoa prices to surge to record highs throughout 2024 and into early 2025.
“Due to the rising costs of raw materials and production, we have had to carefully consider an increase in the price of our Baileys Chocolate range,” said a Lir Chocolate spokeswoman.
M&M’s owner Mars Wrigley said “well-documented increases in the cost of cocoa” had necessitated price increases.
Cadbury owner Mondelez had made “carefully considered list price increases” in light of “significantly higher input costs,” a spokesman said.
Nomo was also “continuing to see an increase in costs for cocoa beans”, said senior brand manager Tara Stevens.
Sainsbury’s and Tesco declined to comment, while Asda had not responded at the time of publication.
Scott Curtiss, CPG head of field pre-sales, at AI platform Relex said: “We’ve seen a steep rise in chocolate prices due to a global cocoa shortage.
“While this understandably increases the cost per unit to produce chocolate products, the impact isn’t always linear.
“UK retailers, already dealing with squeezed margins from rising labour and utility costs, face a tough choice to absorb the additional cocoa costs or pass them on to consumers while trying to remain competitive in a price-sensitive environment.”
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