On December 9, a TikTok video was posted by Goran Raven, who owns Ravens Budgens Abridge.
He was not promoting a Christmas offer or reminding shoppers of last posting dates for Christmas cards. No, Raven was announcing the arrival of Cadbury Creme Eggs and Mini Eggs at his store. And for anyone who questions whether these products are still popular and whether shoppers are excited when they land in store – Raven has the answer.
“We were putting the Mini Eggs out on display and one shopper took a couple of packets before we had finished,” he says.
“Sales are amazing for both Creme Eggs and Mini Eggs. Cadbury has been very clever shutting down sales during the year as it really drives sales when they are available.”
The TikTok video asked: “Anyone want a Creme Egg before Christmas?” and thousands of people engaged with it. It was also posted on Facebook where it got tens of thousands of views and comments from people about where else they had spotted the treats.
Surprisingly, Raven says many people buy them pre-Christmas to put in stockings.
“We ordered a lot but the way they are selling they won’t see us through to the end of January,” he says. And with Easter Sunday not falling until April 20 next year, he is hoping lots will be available. In the past, there have been supply problems with Cadbury Mini Eggs so Raven is hoping that doesn’t happen again. “I have queried the short supply with wholesalers and the manufacturer and they both blame each other so I am not sure where the problem lies.”
An Easter icon
Cadbury Creme Egg has been an icon of the Easter season for over 50 years, with 3.7 packs sold every second (Nielsen). In 2024 the brand expanded with the launch of the Cadbury Creme Egg Tablet, which sold 4.6 million units nationwide, making it the number one piece of NPD for the entire Easter 2024 season (Mondelez figures).
In addition, Cadbury Mini Eggs sold 11 million more units in 2024 than in 2023 (Mondelez). The product remained the number one Easter SKU with the highest penetration of any Easter brand in the UK (Nielsen).
To encourage retailers to display Creme Eggs in a prominent place, Cadbury is running a How Do You Display Yours? Competition for retailers.
The competition invites retailers to share their most innovative and eye-catching Cadbury Creme Egg displays. Any retailer who shares an idea via a specially-created form on SnackDisplay.co.uk – Mondelēz International’s trade-focused advice and information site – will be entered into a competition where there’s a first prize of £1,000-worth of vouchers, four runner-up prizes ranging from £250 to £500 vouchers and 25 x £25 vouchers up for grabs.
Cadbury says the competition is a fantastic opportunity for retailers to get creative and entice consumers into stores and mirrors the consumer-facing ‘Admit It, How Do You Eat Yours?’ campaign.
Carianne Robertson, brand executive for Cadbury Creme Egg, says: “We’re really excited to be taking the annual ‘How Do You Eat Yours?’ campaign to a platform that retailers can engage with directly. Given the enthusiasm towards ‘How Do You Eat Yours?’ we wanted to create an opportunity for retailers to capitalise on consumer engagement, with the addition of 30 prizes to give further support and thanks to the retailers who have supported Cadbury throughout its 200-year history.”
Attracting a younger audience
Mars Wrigley says its Easter 2025 range will be available from December 26 to “build on the excitement of Easter” as Christmas ends and also leverage the three-week longer season.
Among the new products available for next Easter are the M&M’s Crispy Bunny and Maltesers Popcorn Bunny.
Mars Wrigley reports that the self-eat aka impulse category saw a value increase of 5.9% in 2024 (Nielsen) due to more consumers enjoying these products as an early seasonal treat.
The M&M’S Crispy Bunny features a creamy, crunchy filling with M&M’S Minis throughout. The company says the M&M’s brand tends to attract a younger audience thanks to its fun appeal. In addition, with M&M’s ranking as the number one bitesize brand globally, with 29% penetration (Kantar), the NPD will provide shoppers with an exciting brand expansion that will drive incremental sales.
Meanwhile, the new Maltesers Popcorn Bunny, is described as a ‘light, airy bunny’ with real popcorn pieces. Mars says it brings a unique texture and taste alongside a familiar flavour to the market.
Finally, whether you like to go early with your Easter lines like Goran Raven, or you prefer to leave it until a bit later, tempting consumers with sweet treats can definitely deliver some joy in January.
