Egg-cellent sales
Irish shoppers splashed out in the run-up to Easter, driving a lift in grocery sales as spending shifted closer to the holiday itself, with gains across alcohol, bakery and fish offsetting a slower start for Easter eggs. ShelfLife reports
Print17 February 2026
Easter shopping boosted grocery sales in Ireland, with shoppers spending more in-store in preparation for the holiday and school breaks. Grocery sales benefited from Easter falling much later last year, helping to drive value growth during April.
Emer Healy, business development director, Worldpanel by Numerator (formerly Kantar), commented: ”Despite a late Easter last year, St Patrick’s Day and Shrove Tuesday helped boost seasonal sales in Ireland.
“Shoppers spent an additional €6.8 million on beer, spirits, and wine combined, along with an extra €590,000 on hot cross buns, pancakes, sugar, and sweet spreads, compared to last year. Sales of fish were also up as shoppers spent an additional €930k on fresh fish and ready meals combined.
“It seems that this [last] year’s late Easter is prompting shoppers to delay the temptation to buy Easter eggs too early,” added Healy. Irish shoppers spent €7.5 million less on Easter eggs in March compared to last year.
“But when we compare February 2025 with March 2025, we can see a significant increase in sales of €18.4 million. This is the same for total chocolate confectionery with year-on-year sales down 12.3%, but month-on-month spending up an additional €20 million.”
Lindt Gold Bunny returns with new flavours
Lindt Nocciolatte Egg Hazelnut Milk Chocolate With Nocciolatte Truffle
Lindt Lindor Milk Chocolate Egg
Lindt Gold Bunny Crispy Biscuit
Lindt Gold Bunny is ready to make Easter sparkle once again with a dazzling new portfolio that elevates the magic of the season. Building on its iconic role as the symbol of Lindt Easter, the beloved Gold Bunny returns with fresh excitement, including the delicious new Crispy Biscuit flavour, available both as a charming 100g hollow figure and a premium 195g shell egg.
This year also marks a breakthrough moment with the launch of the new Lindt Nocciolatte range, Lindt’s first-ever shell egg with real hazelnut inclusions, bringing an indulgent new texture and taste experience to the Easter aisle. This innovation strengthens Lindt’s expanding portfolio of premium nut-based creations and offers shoppers an elevated treat.
The Lindor shell egg range becomes even more enticing with the addition of the on-trend Pistachio flavour, following the outstanding success of the Lindor Pistachio 200g boxed launch.
With these innovations, Lindt continues to play a leading role in shaping the Easter chocolate experience through irresistible flavours, finest quality chocolate, and the timeless charm of the Gold Bunny.
Egg-ceptional Easter eggs
Butlers Salt Caramel Dark Chocolate Egg
Butlers Creamy Milk Chocolate Egg
Butlers Honeycomb Milk Chocolate Egg
Butlers Hazelnut Milk Chocolate Egg
Butlers Salted Caramel Milk Chocolate Egg
Butlers wrapped egg
Butlers Milk Chocolate Egg
No Easter celebration is complete without a luxurious, Irish-made chocolate gift from Butlers Chocolates – Ireland’s favourite brand of luxury Irish chocolates (source: Opinions Research, 2025). From beautifully crafted chocolate bunnies to exquisite Easter eggs, this elegant seasonal collection is a must-stock premium line this Easter.
Butlers’ Easter range for 2026 includes a stunning new collection of Signature Boxed Chocolate Eggs. Featuring four indulgent inclusion eggs in varieties such as Hazelnut, Milk Salted Caramel, Honeycomb and Dark Salted Caramel, as well as a classic creamy Milk Chocolate egg, each egg is accompanied by twist-wrapped chocolates to match. Sophisticated and delicious, this new collection is designed to elevate every Easter gifting occasion.
Returning for 2026 are Butlers’ stylish flame-wrapped eggs, as well as an assortment of filled mini chocolate eggs in milk, dark and white chocolate varieties. A set of beautifully presented classic boxed eggs, complete with a selection of filled mini eggs, also features in the seasonal collection. Completing this exquisite collection of Easter essentials is an adorable array of chocolate chicks and bunnies.
Butlers Chocolates is committed to sustainability at the heart of its production. Butlers Chocolates are crafted using only sustainably sourced cocoa and zero palm oil. Butlers’ flame-wrapped eggs are encased in fully recyclable wraps, finished with recycled paper labels and hand-tied with bows made from recycled plastic bottles, while Butlers boxed eggs are also packaged in fully recyclable materials. As part of the company’s continuing sustainability journey, Butlers also introduced a new recyclable paper wrapper on twist-wrapped chocolates in 2025. For enquiries or to place an order, please email the team at trade@butlers.ie.
Lily O’Brien’s flavour-filled Easter eggs include new White Chocolate, Lemon, and Raspberry
Lily O’Brien’s White Chocolate Lemon & Raspberry
Lily O’Brien’s Easter gift bag
Lily O’Brien’s Sticky Toffee
Lily O’Brien’s Caramelised Biscuit
This Easter, Lily O’Brien’s Chocolates is putting a fresh spin on seasonal favourites with a collection of Easter eggs. From bright, spring-inspired flavour notes to rich, comforting classics, each egg is handmade in Kildare and includes some of Lily O’Brien’s most popular chocolates, such as the Desserts Collection, Crispy Hearts and Sticky Toffee Chocolates. Find the perfect egg for your loved one this Easter in stores nationwide and on lilyobriens.ie.
White Chocolate, Lemon & Raspberry Egg – €18
New for this Easter is a smooth white chocolate egg infused with zesty lemon extract and sprinkled with dried raspberry pieces for a fresh, uplifting burst of flavour. Paired with a gift box of five Lemon Posset chocolates and four Raspberry Infusion chocolates, it’s a vibrant taste of spring.
Sticky Toffee Toasted Biscuit Egg – €18
A delicious milk chocolate egg packed with crunchy biscuit pieces, this egg delivers the perfect crack and crunch. Featuring a gift box of nine indulgent sticky toffee chocolates, it is a must-have for fans of rich, comforting flavours.
Milk Chocolate Egg with Caramelised Biscuit Chocolates – €15
A classic Lily O’Brien’s milk chocolate egg, accompanied by five caramelised biscuit chocolates. Enjoy delicious milk chocolate with the irresistible crunch of the caramelised biscuits.
Easter Gift Bag 445g – €25
This Easter showstopper features a milk chocolate egg, individually wrapped Crispy Hearts, and a beautifully gift-wrapped Luxury Collection of 20 assorted chocolates, ideal for sharing or spoiling someone special.
This year’s Easter collection brings together playful flavours, classic favourites and beautifully crafted treats, offering something for everyone. Explore the full range at www.lilyobriens.ie.
Grá Chocolates unveils luxurious Easter eggs
Grá Limited Edition range
Each Easter, Grá Chocolates brings together artistry, flavour, and the very best ingredients to create a collection that feels truly special. Every egg is handmade using ethically sourced Valrhona chocolate and some of the world’s finest dairy produce, including rich Irish cream and butter. Hand-painted and beautifully presented, they are designed to be gifted, shared, and remembered.
At the heart of this year’s collection is its now-famous Pistachio Large Egg. Inspired by Dubai’s iconic dessert, this velvety milk chocolate shell reveals layers of creamy pistachio and delicate knafeh crunch. The balance of smooth nut butter and crisp toasted pastry creates a unique texture and flavour experience. After going viral on social media last year, demand soared, with orders placed from not only across Ireland but internationally as well. It has quickly become one of our most loved creations.
Alongside its pistachio star, the giant egg range offers something for every chocolate lover. Egg-Straw-dinary pairs white chocolate with vibrant strawberry filling, Lil’ Bit Salty combines dark chocolate with soft caramel fudge pieces and flakes of Achill Island sea salt, Mint To Be blends milk chocolate with chewy homemade mint marshmallow, Bee My Honey features dark chocolate with honeycomb and Sliabh Aughty Heather Honey from Co. Galway, and Nuts About You brings together milk chocolate, candied hazelnuts, and smooth hazelnut gianduja. Each large egg also comes paired with a selection of its signature chocolates, adding an extra layer of indulgence.
For those who prefer a little variety, our Easter chocolate boxes, filled with bite-sized cutie eggs in an array of flavours, are perfect for sharing (or keeping to yourself).
Is milis an saol é // it truly is a sweet life.
Cleeve’s builds momentum for Easter 2026 with Tesco and Aldi support
Cleeve’s egg range
Cleeve’s Irish Confectionery is set for a strong Easter 2026, with continued support from Tesco and expanded distribution across Aldi, underlining sustained retailer and shopper demand for trusted Irish brands.
Following strong performance in recent seasons, the Cleeve’s Easter Egg range will be stocked in Tesco again this year as part of the retailer’s ongoing commitment to supporting Irish suppliers. In addition, Aldi will stock two core SKUs from the range, the Classic Irish Milk Chocolate Easter Egg and the Original Iced Caramels Easter Egg, both retailing at €6.99 and merchandised on a branded FSDU across 170 stores, delivering high visibility at a key point of purchase.
Supplied by Ampersand, Cleeve’s represents a brand with deep roots in the Irish market. Established in 1882, it remains Ireland’s longest-established confectionery brand, with strong consumer recognition built on heritage, familiarity and trust. This long-standing presence continues to resonate with shoppers seeking recognisable Irish brands during the Easter season.
For Easter 2026, the Cleeve’s range reflects evolving consumer expectations around quality, while remaining true to its core propositions. Cocoa solids start at 30% across the range, with higher cocoa levels on selected SKUs, balancing quality improvements with the familiar taste Cleeve’s is known for. This approach allows the brand to maintain accessibility across price points while enhancing the overall chocolate offering.
The Easter collection is presented in distinctive, vintage-inspired packaging that reflects Cleeve’s heritage while delivering strong shelf standout in a highly competitive seasonal category. Clear branding and Irish provenance cues support ease of navigation for shoppers, while also aligning with retailer initiatives focused on Irish suppliers.
The 2026 Tesco Cleeve’s Easter Egg Range Includes
• Classic Irish Milk Chocolate Easter Egg – made with Irish dairy milk chocolate and paired with Cleeve’s Chocolate Caramels (€7 promoted to €5.50 with Clubcard)
• Original Iced Caramels Easter Egg – featuring Cleeve’s iconic Iced Caramels, still produced using the same recipe and techniques perfected over 90 years ago (€7 promoted to €5.50 with Clubcard)
• Macaroon Irish Milk Chocolate Easter Egg – inspired by the much-loved Macaroon Bar, combining Irish chocolate and coconut (€7 promoted to €5.50 with Clubcard)
• Popping Candy Milk Chocolate Easter Egg – a playful miniature option combining creamy Irish chocolate with popping candy (€5 promoted to €3.50 with Clubcard)
With confirmed listings across major multiples and strong in-store visibility planned, Cleeve’s offers retailers a proven Irish brand with heritage credentials, broad family appeal and a clear role within Irish-brand-led Easter displays for 2026.
For more information, visit cleevesirishconfectionery.ie or contact Ampersand at info@ampersandsales.ie or on 01 4130100.
Related Articles
Lindt and Sprüngli launches new Dubai style chocolate in Ireland →
Followers 0
Fans 0
Followers