The story behind Easter remains a constant, but the impact of the months that came before, and the trends expected to follow it, mean no two Easters are the same – not least given the date on which Easter Day falls changes with each year.
6. If you’ve got it, flaunt it
This year Easter is relatively early – 5 April to be precise – meaning the time between it and the previous big date in retailers’ calendars, Mothering Sunday (15 March), is shorter than in some years. Taking this in conjunction with the sea change going on in shoppers’ lives, and it’s clear that getting Easter 2026 right is crucial.
1. Size is everything
There are two elephants (or perhaps one elephant and one mouse) in the room affecting Easter 2026, but the good news for retailers is that there’s rather a neat synergy between ballooning cocoa prices and shrinking customer appetites.
The former has seen Malteser’s ‘extra large’ egg shrink by 16% compared to last year, for example, while Cadbury’s extra-large Twirl egg now comes with two single Twirl fingers rather than a pair of doubles. The Lindt Gold Bunny, meanwhile, has remained the same size, but has increased in RRP by between 21 and 27%, depending on size format.
This might be just what the doctor ordered, however, as the booming popularity of weight-loss jabs like Ozempic brings with it vastly reduced appetites, with one exec in the soft-drinks industry saying households on these medications consume less food than those under Second World War rationing.
And while not everyone will be after ‘shrinkflated’ eggs, it’s likely a meaningful proportion of shoppers won’t mind having lighter Easter baskets this year, even if this is more by accident than design.
2. On-trend eggs
Away from such weighty considerations, tens of millions of people will be buying traditional eggs for their loved ones this year, with developments in this area abounding.
Terry’s, for example, has a new marbled orange chocolate shell egg this year, which features extra-thick milk chocolate with swirls of chocolate orange, encasing a whole Terry’s Chocolate Orange.
The confectioner also brought back its Chocolate Orange Cream Filled Egg for 2026, which must have been something of a no-brainer given last year saw this sell out before the big day after going viral on TikTok. The firm is hoping to make the most of this popularity, and has introduced a five-egg multipack (RRP £3.50) together with individual items, which retail for just 85p.
Susan Nash, trade communications manager at Mondelēz notes that “multipacks continue to perform well at Easter, particularly at the start of the season”, growing 28% ahead of last year’s festival, with the firm offering five and eight-pack versions of its iconic Cadbury Creme Egg, as well as White Creme Egg, and Cadbury Caramel filled varieties.
New for 2026 are Cadbury’s premium-focussed Biscoff Filled Egg and Cadbury Dairy Milk Biscoff Ultimate Shell Egg. The firm also notes that Cadbury Mini Eggs were the top Easter brand last year, making these a must-have product. Valeo Food’s new Poppeggs – a shareable Easter treat and a neat twist on the established Poppets format – could tempt a fair few shoppers away from these stalwarts, though.
3. Tradition with a twist
Given Mondelēz has both Cadbury and Oreo under its wings, it makes sense to combine these two household names, which the company has done with its limited-edition Oreo cookies, featuring a Creme Egg filling between its two bourbon-like outer biscuits.
Co-op, meanwhile, is going all-out on tradition for Easter 2026, albeit with a modern twist. New for this year is a 200g Neapolitan Easter Egg made from milk, white and strawberry Fairtrade Belgium chocolate, topped with wafer crumb, strawberry sprinkles and vanilla seeds.
And for those whose Easter tastes run beyond eggs, Co-op is also offering a limited-edition peach melba cake, plus Cherry Bakewell Hot-Cross Buns, and a Giant Hot Cross Brioche Bun. Returning lines include a Marbled Millionaires Easter Egg, and because those with dairy intolerances should be able to enjoy Easter as much as the next shopper, a 150g Free-From Salted Caramel Crunch Easter Egg.
4. Nuts about popcorn
Given many children will be given multiple eggs by loved ones, if each offering features a pure-chocolate shell, there’s a possibility getting through all their Easter treats might be a bit of a slog – an enjoyable slog, but a slog nonetheless.
The good news is that shoppers seeking a bit of variety have never had it so good, with nuts and popcorn being two of the egg-shaped trends for Easter 2026.
Following on from the launch of the Baileys Easter Egg, which became the fastest-growing egg brand when it was launched in 2024, comes the Baileys Caramelised Popcorn Easter Egg, from Irish chocolatier Lir, in conjunction with Bailys owner Diageo. With its £12 price tag and liqueur roots, this is firmly aimed at what the drinks firm calls “growing premium ‘Adult Easter’ demand”.
M&S, meanwhile, has embraced pistachio for Easter 2026, offering a new Big Daddy Pistachio Loaded Half Egg. Weighing in at 315g and with a recommended retail price of £12, this features extra-thick milk chocolate, with soft caramel, chewy caramel pieces and roasted pistachio chunks with a white chocolate and pistachio centre.
The retailer also offers the Big Daddy Peanut Loaded Half Egg, at the same price and weight, albeit with different nuts. And for those after something a little less hefty there are four-egg multipack M&S Eggstra Gooey Pistachio Eggs, and Pistachio Crème Filled Eggs.
Interestingly Co-op has something similar to the latter product, namely Co-op Pistachio Crème Filled Eggs, at £3.00 for 100g.
Lindt, meanwhile, is bolstering its Bunny range with the new Gold Bunny Crispy Biscuit, which is available on its own or accompanied by a 95g shell egg. The Swiss chocolatier also has a 245g Popcorn Egg out this year, with an RRP of £16, and Dubai-Style Filled Eggs, which comprise milk-chocolate eggs surrounding pistachio cream and kadayif pastry.
5. Don’t overegg Easter
As mentioned earlier, Easter 2026 falls relatively early in the year, making it all the more important for retailers to strike the right balance between having sufficient stock, and not being left with shelves of eggs that can only be offloaded at a hefty discount after the big day has passed.
That’s the fate that befell many shopkeepers last year, with Andrew Newlands, founder and chief executive of Monty Bojangles telling sister publication The Grocer that last year many retailers “missed volume targets and were left with heaps of stock” at the end of Easter, leading retailers to be “a bit more cautious this year”.
Those observations are backed up with data, too, with NielsenIQ indicating the top-10 chocolate brands saw volumes fall 4.9% last year, equivalent to 2.5 million kg’s worth of chocolate. Similarly, half all the chocolate sold in the four weeks leading up to Easter last year was on offer, up from 35% in 2024.
6. If you’ve got it, flaunt it
Given the backdrop of a short Easter season couple with increasingly health and cost-conscious customers , merchandising and strategizing Easter sales is crucial for retailers banking on this important day.
Mondelēz International advises retailers to think of Easter in three phases: the two weeks leading up to Valentine’s Day; from 15 February to Mother’s Day on 10 March; and the final 3.5-week push up to Easter Day on 5 April.
The firm is offering retailers the opportunity to share their Creme Egg displays for the chance to win a grand prize of vouchers worth £1,000, plus two runner-up prizes of vouchers worth £500, and eight worth £100 - head to SnackDisplay.co.uk to learn more.
Mars Wrigley, meanwhile, has launched an initiative called the Great Easter Bunny Off, which combines three Easter products – Maltesers Bunny Milk Chocolate, M&M’S Crispy Bunny, and Maltesers Bunny Popcorn (we told you popcorn was a theme) – and packages them with free-standing display units, dumpbins, aisle fins, shelf barkers and digital retail media.
Finally, Diageo’s licensing manager, Declan Hassett, says that “with so much choice available during the season, a thoughtful and distinctive setup can help customers navigate more easily and encourage discovery”.
Hassett advises that “eye-level shelves generate 35% more sales compared to lower or higher-level placements and illuminated signs and interactive displays can also contribute to increased sales. Insight shows that 16% of unplanned purchases are driven by instore advertising and displays, with 62% of shoppers making impulse purchases when attracted to an appealing display.”
