If this increase appears to be more moderate compared to the galloping inflation on food, it still has an impact on supermarket shelves.
If the bells pass next weekend, their wallets will be a little emptier than last year. Because the inflation that has affected all food products for a year has not spared the Easter chocolates that you can find on the shelves of your supermarkets. Thus, chocolate eggs, rabbits and chicks have seen their prices increase by an average of 10% compared to March 2022, according to figures from our partner, the consumption monitoring firm NielsenIQ.
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A 200 gram chocolate rabbit from a major brand sells for an average of €5.59 in French supermarkets in March. This is 5% more than in March 2022, indicates NielsenIQ. Another example: the packet of chocolate eggs, still from a major brand: its price has increased by 6% in twelve months. Its label displays an average of 3.19 euros in French supermarkets at the moment.
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A rise that seems moderate
If inflation at 10% remains high, it seems more moderate compared to other increases in food. However, chocolate makers are also subject to the “rise in agricultural raw materials, such as sugar and powdered milk” as well as those of “packaging and energy”recalls Gilles Rouvière, secretary general of the chocolate union, which represents the entire industry. “Obviously, these general increases are very difficult for the whole sector to absorb”he insists.
So why not more? It’s actually a calendar thing. Negotiations between food manufacturers and supermarkets for Easter products took place last summer, confirm several union and industrial sources.
“The negotiations on these products took place in June 2022 for Easter 2023 at a time when inflation was much lower.”
Emmanuel Fournet, from NielsenIQat franceinfo
“Easter products are developed and delivered well in advance to supermarketsalso underlines the chocolate union. We are therefore not on March prices with the products currently on the shelves. The union also says it is confident about the season that is opening, despite the rise in prices: “He there are all prices, a wide range. Chocolatiers are committed to offering products that are accessible to all”said Gilles Rouviere.
He also ensures that chocolate makers do not “do not play on grammages to reduce costs”. But the story is a little different on the industrial side. “For the big manufacturers, it’s OK, they manage to cushion the explosion of production costs, but for the small ones, it’s more serioussays one of their representatives. They can’t compensate for the increase in production costs.” New negotiations are currently underway to fix the prices of Christmas chocolates. With the inflation we are experiencing today, it is not foolish to bet on a significant increase at that time.