Overview
- Shoppers posted a mid-September supermarket photo showing a 200 g Lindt Santa at €8.75, roughly €44 per kilogram, as chains rolled out Christmas lines weeks before Advent.
- In a supermarket price check, BILD found seasonal items up as much as 53 percent versus 2024, with examples including Lambertz Dominosteine and Lindt bars significantly higher and only one item cheaper.
- Germany’s statistics office reported chocolate prices jumped 21 percent in August from July even as overall consumer prices barely moved.
- Manufacturers cite poor West African cocoa harvests, record cocoa markets earlier this year, and higher energy, packaging, transport and labor costs, with retailers offering only general explanations.
- Consumer advocates question whether raw-material costs alone justify the hikes—especially for low‑cocoa goods—while many customers say they will buy less, switch brands or wait for post-holiday discounts.