Overview
- A Facebook photo from an Edeka store showing several 100‑gram bars priced at €4.99 to €5.99 triggered broad online reactions from customers frustrated by seasonal prices.
- A TikTok video by user “Sparnixe” highlighting Aldi prices—chocolate balls at €2.99, round Lebkuchen at €1.89, and a Stollen at €4.99—garnered over 13,000 likes and more than 4,500 comments as of November 12.
- Despite cocoa trading near a two‑year low reported by the Financial Times, shelf prices remain elevated due to costly inventories and pricing structures in the supply chain.
- Pricing expert Tim Brzoska says retailers and manufacturers typically set chocolate prices once a year and longer contracts slow any response to cheaper cocoa, with some brands reluctant to pass reductions through to stores.
- The confectionery industry group BDSI describes a “difficult overall situation,” while consumers report shifting to private‑label options, delaying purchases for markdowns, baking at home, or skipping seasonal sweets, with some also citing quality concerns noted in WDR tests.