Mondelez chocolate brands Toblerone, Caramilk and Bournville have risen by as much as 42% in price since Christmas.
The spate of price rises was led by Toblerone, whose classic 360g line rose 42.9% – from £3.50 to £5 – in Tesco on 31 December 2022, research by The Grocer using Assosia data reveals.
White and Orange Twist 360g variants followed with the same price increase in the retailer the following week (4 January).
In Sainsbury’s, meanwhile, Cadbury Bournville Classic Dark Chocolate Bar 180g and Cadbury Caramilk Golden Caramel Chocolate 160g both rose 12.5% – from £2 to £2.25 – on 1 January 2023.
A Mondelez spokeswoman confirmed the recent price hikes across Toblerone, Caramilk and Bournville. “While we share a recommended retail price for all of our products, retailers are ultimately free to set their own prices, so they may vary,” she said.
“However, it is fair to say we are facing the same unprecedented challenges that many other food companies have reported when it comes to significantly increased input costs.
“This means our products are much more expensive to make, and it is simply impossible for us to absorb the full magnitude of these increased costs.”
A Sainsbury’s spokeswoman said: “While prices can go up and down for a range of reasons, we’re committed to offering our customers great choice and value when they shop with us.”
The Grocer has approached Tesco for comment.
The move comes after Cadbury rival Mars quietly reformulated its top-selling chocolate brand Galaxy last year, making skimmed milk powder the second-largest ingredient after sugar.
While it is not known whether the move was linked to costs, Mars had spent previous months quietly shrinking its confectionery lines to mitigate cost increases.
It shrunk Twix multipacks and Maltesers sharing pouches last summer, for instance, citing the “rising costs of raw materials and operations”.
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