The 2021 Easter Egg hunt started a little early this week as desperate last-minute consumers scoured shops for any remaining sign of the sought-after confectionary.
Whether an indication of pandemic pampering or not, supermarket shelves appeared barren of the colourful cardboard boxes ahead of the weekend.
“Good luck finding one now,” a well-placed retail source said on Friday, two days out from the grand hunt. “And who leaves it so late anyway?”
Who indeed? At one busy Dublin SuperValu branch on Friday afternoon the centre aisles were conspicuously empty, mountains of “three for €5” egg promotions replaced by kitchen roll and laundry detergent.
A shop assistant, seemingly unsurprised by the question, admitted that by Wednesday only the more expensive brands were left and they too had been eagerly plundered.
Of three nearby newsagents, only one had the goods and that was a lonely, vegan version.
A spokeswoman for Lidl Ireland reported a 99 per cent sales increase across its entire egg range compared to this time last year.
Tesco Ireland said consumer behaviour was consistent with ongoing pandemic restrictions, and that chocolate sales were up since January.
“In line with Easter 2020, we’ve seen more adults buying Easter eggs for consumption in the run up to Easter, more so than holding on for Easter itself. As a result we’ve experienced a faster sell-through of Easter Eggs on previous years,” a spokeswoman said.
Signs of a drought were also playing out on social media, where a virtual hunt was well underway on Friday afternoon. One Twitter post observed that all of the eggs in their local Tesco “have suddenly turned into potted plants”.
The pandemic and its effects on consumer behaviour are difficult to separate from anticipated Easter Egg demand. According to a survey by Repak, the recycling company, 25 per cent of Irish people will buy seven or more eggs this year and more than a quarter intend to give them away as presents.
That is certainly the experience of Benoit Lorge, the luxury chocolatier whose modest roadside factory in Bonane, Co Kerry has seen an 80 per cent hike in online orders this year.
"People can't see each other and they want to give a little gift," Mr Lorge said. Customers can still order his hand-crafted eggs, but not in time for Easter Sunday, while those he sent to Avoca, Fallon&Byrne and other high-end Dublin shops sold out days ago.
