Buyers gave up hunting as Easter egg sales surge

The 2021 Easter egg hunt kicked off a bit earlier this week when desperate last-minute consumers scoured stores looking for any remaining signs of the coveted confectionery.

Supermarket shelves seemed empty of colorful cardboard boxes before the weekend.

“Good luck finding one now,” a well-placed retail source told The Irish Times on Friday, two days before the big search. “And who leaves it so late anyway?”

At a busy Dublin SuperValu branch on Friday afternoon, the center aisles were remarkably empty, mountains of “three for € 5” egg promotions replaced by kitchen roll and laundry detergent.

A spokeswoman for Lidl Ireland reported a 99 percent increase in sales across its entire range of eggs compared to this time last year.

Pandemic behavior

Tesco Ireland said consumer behavior was consistent with ongoing pandemic restrictions and chocolate sales had increased since January.

“In line with Easter 2020, we have seen more adults buying Easter eggs for consumption in the run-up to Easter, rather than waiting for Easter itself. As a result, we have experienced a faster sale of Easter eggs in previous years, ”said a spokeswoman.

Signs of drought were also manifesting on social media, where a virtual search was underway on Friday afternoon.

A Twitter post noted that all the eggs at your local Tesco “have suddenly turned into potted plants.”

It is difficult to separate the pandemic and its effects on consumer behavior from the anticipated demand for Easter eggs.

According to a survey by Repak, the recycling company, 25 percent of the Irish will buy seven or more eggs this year and more than a quarter intend to give them away.