Overview
- Several manufacturers have told retailers they want new increases of up to 20% for next year, according to trade reporting cited by inFranken, drawing pushback from buyers facing weak demand and heavy promotions.
- Cocoa prices have fallen to their lowest levels in nearly two years, the Financial Times reports, yet supermarket prices for chocolate and holiday baked goods remain high due to expensive inventories and fixed-term supply deals.
- Germany’s latest inflation data show chocolate confectionery up 21.2% year over year and coffee nearly 22%, far outpacing overall food price growth.
- Shrinkflation is intensifying, with Milka bars reduced from 100 to 90 grams and a consumer group suing over alleged deception, while reports link Ikea’s dropped advent calendar to price disputes with supplier Hachez.
- Recipe downgrades are spreading, including a product sold as “Milk Chocolate Style Raisins” after reformulation, as consumer advocates expand monitoring through portals like Lebensmittelklarheit and note that earlier price spikes rarely reached cocoa farmers.