How much are you shelling out for Easter eggs?

Easter eggs started appearing in the shops before we even took the Christmas decorations down - so you might wonder if you can get a better deal if you buy early.

Well, the answer to that is no.

In fact, it could end up costing you more in the long run.

Shops are counting on you scoffing early

Easter Sunday is on 5 April this year.

So let’s be honest.

If you buy a packet of Cadbury Mini Eggs or a Terry’s Chocolate Orange right now, are you really going to wait more than two months to eat it?

Probably not.

And that’s good news for the shops more than it is for you.

After all, once you’ve scoffed your chocolatey treat, you’ll have to go back and buy another.

So ultimately, you end up spending far more than you ever intended on what’s meant to be a seasonal treat.

As psychologist Kamalyn Kaur recently said: “If Easter eggs are displayed earlier or introduced at cheaper prices, it can create a sense of urgency and scarcity, encouraging the consumer to buy sooner, fearing that the item might run out or the prices might get higher closer to the holiday.”

Speaking to the Metro, she added that shops are trying to create a sense of “anticipation and excitement” by introducing seasonal items “well in advance of the actual holiday or event”.

What do the retailers say?

Of course, major retailers won’t openly admit to this strategy.

They don’t want to appear to be manipulative or playing with our emotions, even if it’s central to how shops lay out their stores.

Instead, they want to be seen as if they’re actually doing us a favour by putting Easter treats out so early.

Poundland, for instance, said at Christmas that it was giving customers a “sneak peak into what’s coming in 2026”.

And speaking to the Mirror, a spokesperson added: “To be honest, it’s never too early for a Creme Egg.”

Watch out for shrinkflation

Another issue to remember is that many chocolatey treats are getting smaller - and Easter eggs are no exception.

For example, a Maltesers XL egg weighed 231g last year, but now weighs 194g.

Yet, according to the Grocer magazine, the price has gone up by £1 to £7.

No wonder the Maltesers slogan is “the lighter way to enjoy chocolate”.

Similarly, Cadbury’s Twirl eggs have shrunk from 241g to 218g, despite the price going up from £6 to £7.

In both cases, that’s partly because there’s fewer extras in the packet alongside the egg.

Last year, you could get three 37g packets of Maltesers with the XL egg, but now it’s just two.

And the Twirl egg used to have two full bars included, but now just has two individually wrapped Twirl fingers.

Chocolate’s getting more expensive partly because of the rising costs of ingredients like cocoa and dairy products.

So shoppers need to be savvy if they want to get the best deals, perhaps by checking the price per 100g/ml, rather than just the pack size.

Check out our tips on how you can beat shrinkflation, so you can be sure you’re getting more chocolate for your money this Easter.