Easter is expensive these days. Goodness me. A roast lamb joint is up as much as 76% on last year. Egg prices have increased 20% on average since the start of the year. Chocolate Easter eggs: they’re up to 50% dearer. And as we report, hot cross buns have risen as much as 44%.

But there are still deals to be had this Easter. A great price on the half leg of lamb helped Morrisons to win our Easter-themed Grocer 33 this week, one of 17 promotions it was offering. And that was without the carrots, swedes or parsnips it was selling for 8p as an Easter loss leader even featuring in our weekly price comparison survey.

Loss leaders

Over the years there have been many unfunded loss leaders: bread, baked beans, bananas, booze, Baileys (and that’s just the Bs). But right now, winter veg seems to be the most popular. And after featuring in Christmas promo campaigns for the best part of a decade, the price of sprouts, spuds, carrots and parsnips dropped from an already cheap 19p to a new low of 8p for 2024’s festive season. Similar deals for the Easter holiday, a more recent phenomenon, have quickly gathered steam, with Morrisons moving from 15p last year straight to 8p.

Choosing to promote winter veg in this way is certainly controversial. On the one hand, what’s not to like about selling healthy, nutritious food at bargain basement prices? It gives the lie to suggestions that it’s only ultra-processed foods that are ever a) cheap b) on promotion. And these deals aren’t funded via ‘back margin’ deals with farmers and growers.

Farmer fury

But regardless of who pays, farmers and growers hate to see their produce devalued in this way. They think it sends the wrong message, encouraging shoppers to regard their lovingly grown vegetables as a commodity, while all the wonderful, locally grown spring and summer veg that’s now being harvested is unmarketed (save for the odd flag or two).

What’s more, with the cost of picking all that produce going up from this month, it still rankles that many supermarkets refuse to accept increased labour costs in their pricing plans. And you have to say: they’ve got a point.

Topics