Despite Easter still being nearly two months away, supermarket shelves are already filled with chocolate eggs for the occasion with shoppers stocking up on the treats.
But chocolate giant Cadbury has come under fire after making a change to its Easter eggs this year that has left some shoppers fuming. It seems that the popular eggs have been the target of shrinkflation, with several of Cadbury's favourite chocolate goodies getting smaller - despite costing the same or even more than before.
A medium Wispa Easter egg, for example, is priced at £3 just like last year, but has been reduced from 224g to 183.5g. Similarly, the Cadbury Flake egg now weighs 231.8g down from 249g but now costs £5, while the Dairy Milk Freddo Faces egg has shrunk from 122g to 96g but has increased in price from £1 to £1.25, the Manchester Evening News reports.
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The changes have understandably not been well-received by shoppers, with some eagle-eyed customers taking to social media to call out Cadbury after spotting the adjustments on their Easter Eggs. Posting on the Extreme Couponing and Bargains UK Group, one person observed: "The little Cadbury eggs were £1 last year and this year they are £1.25 and a hell of a lot smaller".
Another shopper slammed: "More packaging than chocolate. Not worth buying, even Creme Eggs have shrunk!"
Consumer expert Sarah Coles of Hargreaves Lansdown criticised the downsizing, saying: "The horrors of shrinkflation are turning Easter eggs into mini eggs. We're spending significantly more in return for less chocolate."
She added: "It feels particularly unfair to those on lower budgets, who are trying to keep everyone happy this Easter without breaking the bank."
A spokesperson for Cadbury owner Mondelez told The Sun: "We’re constantly looking at ways to innovate our products while keeping the fan favourites that the nation knows and loves. This year we’ve revamped our Easter egg range, offering a wide variety of sizes and price options for our Cadbury fans to choose from."
The spokesperson added that large shell eggs have been replaced by traditional gift shell eggs, and there are eight different flavours including Creme Egg and Mini Eggs. The small eggs are part of Cadbury's new 'surprise and delight' range, with treats back inside eggs.
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