Chocolate prices have surged due to poor cocoa harvests and high demand, with a 21.8% increase over the past year. However, a local investigation reveals a money-saving tip: buy chocolate in bulk from candy aisles instead of pre-packaged bars. This method can save consumers up to two-thirds of the cost, as demonstrated by price comparisons in Kalmar, Sweden.
How to Save Big on Chocolate: Buy in Bulk for a Fraction of the Price
How to Save Big on Chocolate: Buy in Bulk for a Fraction of the Price
If it tastes good, it costs more. Chocolate has become an expensive treat, but there are ways to enjoy it without breaking the bank.
Chocolate prices have skyrocketed.
Poor harvests among cocoa producers, combined with high demand, have driven up the cost of both cocoa and finished chocolate. Recent statistics show that chocolate prices have increased by 21.8% over the past 12 months. A 200-gram Marabou chocolate bar now costs around 40 kronor—almost double the price in 2022, according to Matpriskollen.
However, a delicious investigation by the local newspaper Barometern reveals a trick for those who don't want to pay full price:
Buy chocolate in bulk from the candy aisle, not as a packaged bar.
16 Kronor Cheaper Than at Hemköp
The investigation examined prices for a 200-gram Marabou chocolate bar, including the weight of the candy wrapper.
The results show significant differences: In bulk, the same amount can cost around 16 kronor, while pre-packaged chocolate bars can range from 30 to 50 kronor.
Buying in bulk can sometimes cost about a third of the price for the same amount in a chocolate bar.
The same applies to Kexchoklad—in bulk, at the cheapest store, it was found to be a third of the price compared to the chocolate bar at the nationwide candy store Kandyz.
Further investigation shows that Fazer milk chocolate is 16 kronor cheaper at one of the candy stores compared to a chocolate bar at Hemköp.
“Buying Several Kilos”
Barometern's investigation covers only stores in Kalmar, but the same trick works virtually everywhere in Sweden—bulk chocolate is often significantly cheaper than packaged bars.
Carl-Johan Berletin, sales manager at the Eko store in Kalmar, says they have reduced the amount of chocolate in the bulk candy aisles. He also mentions that some customers go beyond just treating themselves to a bag of mixed candy in their quest to find bargains in the bulk candy aisle.
– Then there are those who come here and buy several kilos of Kexchoklad to resell in their small shops. It's the same with associations or discos; they come and stock up as much as they can, he tells Barometern.