Valentine’s Day chocolates are likely to cost shoppers more this year than last, with shelf prices on gifting lines rocketing by as much as 63% in the mults.
Out of 237 gifting lines available in the traditional big four this year and last, 181 (76.4%) have risen in price, 46 (19.4%) are stable, and only 10 (4.2%) are cheaper, according to The Grocer’s analysis of Assosia data [3 February 2024 vs 3 February 2025].
Maltesers Truffles 200g, for instance, have soared by 63% in Asda, from £4 to £6.50.
Toblerone 750g is up 63% in Morrisons, from £8 to £13.
Baileys Chocolate Truffles Salted Caramel 205g are up 36%, from £5 to £6.80 in Sainsbury’s.
Terry’s Chocolate Orange 157g is up 34%, from £1.49 to £2 in Tesco.
It comes after a short crop of cocoa from west Africa that has pushed the price of the commodity to record highs in recent months. This has had a knock-on impact on month-on-month shelf prices of value lines.
The Grocer’s Key Value Items tracker reveals Morrisons Savers chocolate 100g is up 63.3% this month, from 49p to 80p [Assosia 52 w/e 30 January 2025].
Asda’s 100g Just Essentials tablets are up 12.2%, from 49p to 55p. Meanwhile, Sainsbury’s Stamford Street Co 100g bars are up 10%, from £1 to £1.10.
Maltesers said price increases were “not a decision we have taken lightly”, but were “necessary for shoppers to still be able to enjoy their favourite treats without compromising”.
For Toblerone, “our products continue to be much more expensive to make… As a result, we are having to make some carefully considered list price increases”.
At Sainsbury’s, prices could “go up and down for a range of reasons”. It and Tesco advised select lines were available on deal, via loyalty cards.
Baileys licence holder Lir Chocolates and Terry’s declined to comment. Asda and Morrisons had not responded to requests at the time of publication.
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