In front of the store of a brand of Parisian chocolates, Jacques, 50, lists its Easter purchases: chickens, rabbits, fry … of the “classic”.
“It’s more expensive than last year, I would say about 15%,” he said. However, there is no doubt to give up these annual purchases for their family and … their own taste papillae: “It is a purchase of pleasure.”
This “strong attachment of French chocolate”, a holiday in Easter and Christmas (the two best outstanding aspects of the purchase) and daily life during the year, is “a great opportunity for the profession,” acknowledges Gilles Rouvière, general secretary general of the Chocolate Syndicat, which brings together small family businesses, SMEs larger and multinational. Especially because Easter purchases are three quarters for children, according to organizational surveys, even if adult purchases grow faster than children ( +8% and +2.4% respectively in 2024).
The price of cocoa has almost tripled for three years
Cocoa lessons, stable for ten years, took off since early 2023. In the London raw material market, the cocoa ton 1,900 pounds sterling (2,200 euros) in January 2023, 3,800 pounds a year later and reached a higher 2024 in December more than 9,000 pounds. A price multiplied by 4.5 in two years. Since the beginning of 2025, however, the courses have been reflected and the ton has been placed with about 6,200 pounds at the end of March.
The reasons for the outbreak of lessons in recent years? Disappointed climatic conditions (torrential rains that cause diseases in crops, drought) in Western Africa (especially in Ivory and Ghana coast), a cocoa belt that provides 70% of cocoa grains in the world. Prices have slowed the demand and have pushed farmers to dedicate more resources to cocoa culture, allowing lessons to relax in recent months, with the constitution of reserves for the first time in four years.
“A part of the customers cannot continue”
But Easter chocolate manufacturers bought cocoa several months ago, sometimes to the fullest. A survey conducted by UFC-Que Choisir increases an average increase of 14% of the prices of Easter chocolates in mass distribution this year, compared to Easter 2024. An increase increased to 23% on average in distributors’ brands, which remain less expensive than national brands, according to the statements made by the Consumer Defense Association on March 31 in 78 products. An increase that contrasts with the food inflation that has returned to less than 0.5% in 2024. Olivos Dauvers, expert in consumption subjects, prognosis “a bad harvest” of sales of 2025 Easter chocolates:
A spokesman for the Musketeer Group (Intemrché, Clean) says they offer the same products as last year, without reducing the cocoa part. But groups in the group also have Easter articles with very little chocolate, such as eggs full of milk cream. There is no doubt, he says, to boost labels for these exceptional purchases because “most brands offer more or less the same.” The purchase of Easter subjects is certainly “a slightly forced passage for parents, but we must be as competitive as possible,” otherwise, the customer will see elsewhere.
Most chocolate purchases take place in the week before the Easter weekend. Therefore, it is too early to say if bells and rabbits will be less in the gardens on Sunday.
Source: BFM TV
