Coronavirus Scares Easter Bunny Away as Chocolate Sales Wilt

Lockdowns, unemployment weigh on appetite for Easter candy
E-commerce booming, but not enough to make up for lost sales

Easter chocolate bunnies with face masks sit in a patisserie in Thessaloniki, on April 7.Photographer: NurPhoto/NurPhoto

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By Corinne Gretler and Leonard Kehnscherper

April 10, 2020 at 5:00 AM UTC

This article is for subscribers only.

Swiss chocolate makers are offering unprecedented price cuts in an attempt to stem weak demand during the key Easter season, as shoppers scoop up toilet paper and canned soup rather than tinfoil bunnies.

Lindt & Spruengli AG is offering online price cuts of 30% on its entire Easter assortment. Laederach, another high-end chocolate chain, abandoned its practice of avoiding discounts this year. Retailers across Europe and North America are also offering promotions of as much as 50%.