Why are Easter eggs so expensive?

12 Views

Every year, South Africans wander into supermarkets in March and April expecting a sweet little pick-me-up in the form of a foil-wrapped chocolate or marshmallow egg. And every year, we stare at the price tag like it just slapped us across the face. R80 for a hollow egg? Is it filled with chocolate or Bitcoin?

So what’s going on here? Why are Easter eggs just so expensive? Let’s break it down.

1. Chocolate is basically gold now

Cocoa prices have been hopping up faster than kids on a sugar high. Bad weather in West Africa (where most of the world’s cocoa comes from) has hit cocoa crops hard. Less cocoa means higher prices. Combine that with the cost of sugar, milk, and transport going up, and boom – your cute little egg is now a luxury item.

2. Imported = Inflated

Some of the “fancier” Easter goodies are imported from Europe, where apparently they infuse the chocolate with the tears of angels or something. Import costs, plus duties, plus a weak rand equals to soaring costs.

3. Seasonal = Sneaky

Easter eggs have a short shelf life – marketing-wise, not in your cupboard (although let’s be honest, they rarely last more than a day). That gives retailers a limited window to sell them, so they bump up the price while demand is high. Classic supply-and-demand trickery. It’s like avocados, but shinier.

4. Packaging is doing the most

You’re not just paying for chocolate. You’re paying for the colourful box, the shiny foil, the plastic shell inside the box, and the sticker on the shell. It all adds up.

5. The nostalgia tax

Let’s be real: Easter eggs taste better because they remind us of being kids. That magical crack of foil. The smell of sweet, milky chocolate. The sugar crash an hour later. Retailers know we’ll pay more for that hit of nostalgia. It’s emotional pricing. Sneaky, but effective.