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Easter Costs Soar in Argentina, With Basket Up to 63% as Shoppers Go Digital and Buy Late

Cocoa shortages plus export demand for seafood drove the spikes.

Overview

  • Focus Market reported the steepest jump in a 500 g artisanal rosca, up 63% to about $13,000, with squid up roughly 58% and select chocolate eggs rising as much as 49% as a 500 g filled egg reached about $29,900, a 36% increase.
  • Analysts linked chocolate price hikes to the 2024 surge in global cocoa costs, and they said strong overseas demand pushed fish prices higher inside Argentina.
  • Online buying picked up for the holiday as Tiendanube saw Easter‑linked orders rise 15% over the two weeks before the date with more than 73,000 items sold and a 143% jump in egg sales, while PedidosYa logged a 60% annual gain in chocolate egg purchases.
  • Travel interest also grew, with Despegar searches up 24% for local trips and 16% for international, Airbnb reporting a 140% jump in domestic searches, and Plataforma 10 noting that 25% of tickets were bought in the final five days.
  • Banks and supermarkets rolled out discounts and interest‑free installment plans to support spending, and Buenos Aires tourism officials expect about 100,000 visitors with an economic impact above $35,000 million and average hotel occupancy near 67%.