Need to know
- Chocolate eggs from Cadbury, Nestle and Aldi have become smaller and more expensive since last Easter
- Manufacturers and experts say high cocoa prices are largely to blame
- The ACCC says supermarkets should do more to help consumers spot cases of shrinkflation like this
Chocolate Easter eggs from global snack giants Cadbury and Nestle and supermarket chain Aldi have become smaller and more expensive in the last year.
CHOICE has uncovered several examples of the Easter shrinkage, which has Australians paying as much as 33% more per 100g of chocolate in some cases.
Brands and industry experts say the changes are due to cocoa prices reaching record highs in the last year and remaining volatile ever since.
Which eggs are affected?
Two Easter treats from chocolate giant Cadbury have recently been replaced with smaller versions, with prices increasing or remaining the same.
Last March, retailers were selling a 24-pack of Cadbury Dairy Milk hollow chocolate eggs designed for Easter hunts, with a recommended retail price (RRP) of $12.50.
But anyone buying the same product this year expecting to get the same number of eggs will be left hunting around for a missing two.
Last Easter's box has been replaced with a version that comes with only 22 eggs, leaving it 34 grams lighter than its predecessor.
An RRP hike to $15 also leaves consumers paying 31% more per 100g of chocolate.
Anyone buying the same product this year expecting to get the same number of eggs will be left hunting around for a missing two
Another lighter Easter item on the shelves this year is Cadbury's 340g large chocolate egg – going for $20 at major retailers.
This milk chocolate treat makes an attractive addition to any Easter spread, but it may taste a little bitter once you discover you would've been getting more chocolate for the same price last year.
Cadbury owner Mondelēz International confirmed to CHOICE the egg currently on sale has replaced another that was sold last Easter that also cost $20, but weighed an extra 60 grams.
Another international chocolate giant, Nestle, has also made cutbacks on some of its Easter products.
The company's bags of KitKat-flavoured mini eggs have become even more mini, going from 110g to 90g since last February, while the price at supermarkets has stayed at $3.99.
Retailers themselves are also guilty of the shrinking sin, offering shoppers less chocolate for their buck with certain home-brand Easter products.
Nestle's bags of KitKat-flavoured mini eggs have become even more mini
People who have bought Aldi's Dairy Fine Milk mini eggs in the past may have noticed that these treats no longer come in the 400g packets they were available in last February.
While the price has remained the same at $5.99, a cut in size to 300g means you're now paying 33% more per 100g to get your chocolate fix.
Why is this happening?
Significant increases in the cost of cocoa is a key factor being blamed for the shrinkage.
In early 2024, prices for cocoa jumped to levels Nestle and Mondelēz described to CHOICE as "unprecedented".
Prices have since dropped slightly but remain volatile, and manufacturers say the historically high costs of this key chocolate ingredient is a major reason for the shrinkage of this year's Easter chocolates.
Aldi similarly mentioned the rising cost of raw ingredients as the reason behind its changes. Both the supermarket and Nestle said they had chosen to cut the size of their products instead of hiking their prices.
Chocolate: The serial shrinker
Chocolate products have often featured in CHOICE investigations into shrinkflation over recent years.
In the last year, the makers of these products have often pointed to high cocoa prices as the major reason for their cutbacks.
Pia Piggott, an analyst at agricultural bank Rabobank studying key chocolate inputs, agrees cocoa prices are likely a major cause for this latest round of shrinkflation.
Shortages are due to factors unfolding in the West African countries where much of the world's cocoa comes from
She says consecutive years of low cocoa supplies are behind the high prices and that these shortages are due to factors unfolding in the West African countries where much of the world's cocoa comes from.
"[Crop diseases] have an impact on production, but farmers also have other problems like ageing trees and adverse weather," she says.
"But the most important thing is probably poor soil fertility management. Farmers previously weren't getting enough money to be able to afford to apply the right amount of fertiliser to produce cocoa," she adds.
Even though cocoa prices aren't as high as they were late last year, Piggott says that because major chocolate producers usually agree on prices for this key input a year or more in advance, consumers won't necessarily see an instant drop in shelf prices.
What's being done about shrinkflation?
In a recent report following an inquiry into Australia's supermarkets, the ACCC recommended retailers be required to tell shoppers when a product has undergone shrinkflation.
The regulator says businesses would do this by putting notices in their aisles and publishing updates on their websites, in line with approaches already adopted by some grocery retailers overseas.
It's a suggestion CHOICE has repeatedly made in the course of our extensive investigations into shrinkflation.
If implemented, the move could improve transparency and help Australians make better-informed decisions while shopping.
How to spot shrinkflation
In the meantime, adopt these three practices for a better chance of noticing if your favourite product gets smaller.
- Check if you're getting fewer items when the product promises to come with a set number.
- Keep an eye on unit pricing and watch for any changes in the cost per unit.
- Beware of "new & improved" or other slogan rebrands known to accompany shrinkage.
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Stock images: Getty, unless otherwise stated.
