Easter treats hit grocery shelves
It is barely halfway through January and Easter goodies are already on the shelf.
The appearance of hot cross buns and Easter egg displays has elicited mixed responses from consumers over whether it was too soon to buy treats for an event more than
90 days away.
Easter eggs and hot cross buns have been spotted in Countdown, while The Warehouse has some of the chocolate treats on sale.
Alex Grey, a worker in Auckland’s CBD, said hot cross buns should be sold ‘‘all year round’’.
‘‘Hot cross buns are a wonderful thing – everyone enjoys them, they are delicious,’’ Grey said.
However, he believed January was too soon for Easter eggs. ‘‘A month out is the perfect time.’’
Another Aucklander, Jim Cunningham, said holidays had become over-commercialised.
‘‘It’s all about making more money and capitalising on opportunities and it’s missing what it’s all about.’’
A spokesperson for Countdown said it was not unusual to see hot cross buns on the shelves in January.
‘‘We sell millions of buns in the lead-up to Easter and customers seem to love them no matter the time of year,’’ the spokesperson said.
Dr Karen Fernandez, an associate professor at the University of Auckland’s business school, said some consumers would react negatively to a feeling of being pressured to spend money.
Christmas added an extra layer to this resentment, she said, as stores started early with festive displays.
‘‘People start to ask: ‘When do I get to have a break and not have to spend money on the next big thing’?’’