Which? Flags Festive Price Jumps as Chocolates Lead Increases of Up to 70%

Overview

• Tracking more than 25,000 products across major UK supermarkets, Which? found chocolate recorded the highest annual inflation at 14.2%.
• Examples include Lindt Milk Chocolate Teddy decorations at Morrisons rising from £3.50 to £6.00 year-on-year (up 71.4%) and Terry’s Chocolate Orange at Tesco going from £1.50 to £2.50 (up 66.7%), though Clubcard pricing lowers the latter to £1.80.
• Some turkeys also rose sharply, with Tesco’s Finest free range medium up 27.8% to £68.77 but held at £53.82 for Clubcard users, and Ocado’s KellyBronze extra large moving from £117.00 to £131.63 (up 12.5%).
• Overall supermarket inflation rates reported by Which? include Waitrose at 6.2%, Sainsbury’s at 5.4%, Morrisons at 5%, and Asda at 3%, with others below 5%.
• Chocolate makers pointed to poor cocoa yields and shrinkflation, retailers highlighted loyalty pricing and price-matching, and Which? advised shoppers to compare unit prices and consider lower-cost chains.