Clever reason supermarkets are putting Easter eggs out now

If you've been anywhere near a supermarket recently, you might have noticed something... strange.

The moment the festive period came to an end, Easter eggs, quite literally, appeared overnight, and this left some of us scratching our heads.

After all, Easter in 2023 doesn't fall until 9 April - that's over three months away.

Well, it turns out that supermarkets have a good reason for putting their eggs out so early, and it's a covert technique that can trick shoppers into spending more money.

All was recently revealed by consumer psychologist from Anglia Ruskin University, Dr Cathrine Jansson-Boyd, who explained that some people will stock up early if they see a good deal, thinking that they're being 'practical'.

Alamy / Stuart Black

She told The Mirror: "The reason why [supermarkets] do it is that often [the seasonal items] are on special offers.

"People are then thinking 'ooh but it's cheap now and if I buy them now, I can store them and keep buying things little by little, then I don't have to pay it all out at the point in time when perhaps I need to buy lots of it.

"That's the reasoning for why they're doing it - in order to get the consumer to think it's practical for them. "However, that is not why they're doing it - if you start buying mince pies in October because you want to put them away for December, you think 'ooh I'll have one' and then you have two and then you've eaten them and then you go and buy a new packet.

"Then as it's coming up to the festive period, you'll buy another one.

"So it's not because the shops want to start Christmas in October or Easter in January, it's just purely to get people to buy more and little by little you'll spend twice as much."

Now, I don't know about you, but I feel personally triggered by this revelation as I'm a total sucker for stocking up on Christmas cheese the moment it appears on the shelves.

And don't get me started on Cadbury Creme Eggs... I dread to think how many I eat in a season.

The doctor said that because of the pressure people feel to treat each other at seasonal holidays, people tend to buy more than they often need.

Alamy / Kevin Britland

"You want to give the people you love as many things as possible to show that you care, because the items are the equivalent of importance and caring," she said.

"We are conditioned, whether we like it or not, it's just the way life has gone and I think we need to become dematerialised and understand that material possessions are not important."

The expert explained that psychology supports a less materialistic view of life too, and instead shows that making memories is ultimately what makes people happy - and not receiving Easter eggs to reflect their varied and extensive chocolate tastes.

She adds: "What's really tragic in psychology is that there are a lot of studies that show that social experience with others makes us much happier and is better for our mental health, than receiving a gift from someone."

Although, I have to admit, at least, that the odd treat will always be welcome.

Will this put you off picking up Easter eggs ahead of the spring season? Or are you going to indulge in your chocaholic ways regardless?