Unscrambling Easter egg prices: Consumer champ Which? hatches the ultimate guide
With Easter Sunday fast approaching consumer watchdog Which? has conducted an analysis to reveal where shoppers can find the best deals on our favourite Easter eggs and chocolate treats.
A brief history lesson
Eggs have long been a symbol of new life and rebirth, which is why they feature prominently in Easter celebrations.
Dr Michael Carter, senior properties historian at English Heritage, explained the historical significance of eggs:
“Eggs have long been associated with Easter — the time of year when Christians commemorate the death and resurrection of Christ.”
“In the Middle Ages, their consumption was banned during Lent [the 40-day period before Easter] until Easter Sunday.”
The introduction of chocolate Easter eggs can be traced back to the 19th century.
Advances in chocolate-making techniques allowed confectioners to create hollow chocolate eggs, which quickly became popular Easter treats.
By the mid-20th century, mass-produced chocolate Easter eggs had secured their place as a key element of modern Easter celebrations.
Best deals
The Which? study examined the prices of 19 popular branded Easter eggs and chocolate treats, including Cadbury Creme Eggs and Maltesers Mini Bunnies, across eight major supermarkets: Aldi, Asda, Lidl, Morrisons, Ocado, Sainsbury’s, Tesco, and Waitrose.
The analysis took place between 3-17 March 2023 and calculated the average price of each item during this period.
Not all the products were available at every supermarket, with discount retailers Aldi and Lidl stocking fewer branded items than their competitors.
The analysis found that Aldi and Lidl offered the cheapest or the same price as other supermarkets for nine of the eggs and treats.
In contrast, Waitrose had the lowest or same price for just one product, the Aero Peppermint Mini Eggs (70g), and was the most expensive or joint-most expensive for 14 of the products.
Morrisons followed Waitrose, with eight items being the most expensive or joint-most expensive.
The largest price differences were found in the Cadbury Mini Eggs Chocolate Easter Egg (193.5g) and Galaxy Minstrels Easter Egg (234g), both being £1.17 (41%) more expensive at Waitrose compared to Morrisons.
When it comes to shareable bags of treats, the Cadbury Mini Eggs Large Family Chocolate Bag (296g) was found to be 25% more expensive at Waitrose than at Aldi, where it was the cheapest.
Additionally, the Cadbury Mini Creme Egg Chocolate Bag (78g) was 20% pricier at Waitrose compared to other supermarkets.
