Bulk Lindor Chocolates at €60/kg: A Buyer Denounces the Price Jump
How much are you willing to pay for a chocolate truffle that is essentially sugar coated in cocoa? In some Christmas market stalls, the answer is €60 per kilo, according to a buyer who recalled seeing them at €32-33 recently and €28 three or four years ago. This jump is not an anecdote; it mirrors the trend seen with Suchard bars and makes bulk Lindors a prime example of selective inflation hitting mid-range products.
The initial complaint quickly found echoes. Cocoa prices have risen on international markets, true, but as the original poster noted, the main ingredient in these chocolates is sugar, and a kilo of sugar costs less than one euro. Another participant did the math bluntly: if you buy a kilo of chocolates, half is sugar, with cocoa and other ingredients. Half a kilo of sugar doesn't even cost a euro. The rest is fat, milk, flavoring, and, according to that same user, commercial margin.
From €28 to €60: The Unmonitored Escalation
The temporal comparison is the most damning data point. Prices discussed show a more than doubling in just three or four years: from €28 to €60 per kilo. In between, someone recalls buying them at €20-24. This isn't general inflation; it's a rise far above the CPI targeting occasional consumption and gift items.
Store strategies worsen the feeling of being ripped off. Instead of raising the package price, they reduce quantity while maintaining the psychological spend. One participant describes it precisely: they keep putting less product in the package so consumers can still buy thanks to the 'I always spend €20' philosophy. Then you look at the price per kilo and discover the real percentage. At Alcampo, according to another message, they sell them at €6 for 100 grams, which is the same €60 per kilo, but in a format that feels less shocking.
Chocolate as a Thermometer for the Shopping Basket
The phenomenon isn't limited to Lindors. The same conversation mentions turrón (Spanish nougat) at €16 at Alcampo, Valor 82% almond tablets at €7.50 when they were recently under €4, and 40-gram chocolate boxes at nearly €6 at Hipercor. The recurring conclusion is uncomfortable: it seems food prices in low and mid-range categories are inflating more than high-end ones, hitting exactly those with the least room to substitute.
Part of the consumer response is silent boycott. Several messages agree: this year, no Christmas products will enter the home—no chocolates, mantecados (shortbread), or turrón. It's not an organized stance, but individual withdrawals that, summed up, empty shelves. And it has basic economic logic: if prices rise, save your money.
Alternatives: From Home Workshops to Private Labels
The conversation quickly shifts to what to do instead of paying. The most repeated option is homemade production: melting tablets, using molds, and trinc a recipe that, according to circulating calculations, brings the cost down to about €4 per kilo. Others point to Lidl's private-label chocolates, a 180-gram bag of 70% cocoa for just over €2, working out to slightly more than €10 per kilo. The conclusion is logical: at €60 per kilo, it no longer makes sense to buy it in a supermarket, but rather in a pastry shop.
Some also note the product isn't what it seems. Red Lindt truffles, they point out, are actually candy bars: fat and sugar with very little cocoa. If it doesn't exceed 50% cocoa, it shouldn't be called chocolate; if it doesn't reach 70%, it's hardly worth it. At that price, the wrapper costs more than the contents.
In the end, the rise in bulk Lindors is just the visible tip of a broader phenomenon: mid-range food is becoming a quiet luxury. While some stop buying and others learn to melt tablets at home, stores continue setting up their Christmas stands. Someone will have to buy it. Or not.
Summary of a discussion on Burbuja.info - Foro de economía, actualidad y política., translated from Spanish and reviewed before publication.
Read the full discussion (163 replies).