Chocolate bars shrank last year—now they’re cheaper

A year after confectionery giant Mondelez reduced the size of several chocolate products, prices have fallen, an investigation by Swedish public broadcaster SVT reveals. The shift follows a drop in global cocoa prices after last year’s record highs.

Swedes are expected to spend over SEK 1.1 billion on candy during Easter week, according to trade group Svensk Handel. But an analysis by SVT Verifierar and children’s news program Lilla Aktuellt shows that the smaller chocolate bars introduced in 2025 now come with lower price tags compared to their original sizes.

Mondelez, the manufacturer behind brands like Marabou and Daim, reduced packaging sizes for 12 products last year, citing soaring cocoa costs. The move sparked warnings of “shrinkflation”—where products shrink but prices remain stable, effectively raising costs for consumers. At the time, Mondelez stated that retailers set their own prices, while stores argued pricing depended on the company’s wholesale rates. Competition laws prevented further disclosure.

SVT’s comparison of four Stockholm-area stores—ICA, Coop, Hemköp, and Lidl—found that the new 160-gram Marabou milk chocolate bar (previously 200 grams) now costs less than the 2025 version when adjusted for weight. Similar trends were observed for Daim Mini and Daim Dragée products. Archived data from online retailer Mathem.se confirmed price drops for Marabou’s 90-gram bar (formerly 100 grams) and other reduced-size items.

Ulf Mazur, CEO of price-tracking service Matpriskollen, noted that chocolate prices have begun to decline as cocoa costs stabilize, though variations persist between retailers. “Pricing for confectionery is quite local—stores adjust based on their customer base,” he told SVT. “Prices rise quickly but drop slowly.”

The investigation excluded the temporary reduction in Sweden’s food VAT rate to ensure comparable data.