Cadbury take action as cult-classic Easter chocolate disappears from shelves

If asked, most will agree; you can't have Easter without the humble chocolate egg.

The concept of a wicker basket devoid of the seasonal staple is a grim one at that – and now, that just may be the sad reality for countless Aussie families.

Amid soaring demand, Coles and Woolies have been hit by shock shortages of Cadbury's cult-classic Mini Easter Eggs – sending shoppers on a frantic early easter egg hunt in the leadup to the holiday.

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With just 11 days to go until the Easter bunny heads Down Under, this news could not come at a worse time for parents prepping for seasonal celebrations.

The shortage has since sparked panic online, with many taking to various social media channels in a desperate search for the popular product.

Following similar stock shortages last year, many prepped by panic-buying mini eggs well in advance, according to Reddit comments.

"They always get sold out early so I buy up hard," one Redditor said.

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"I am guessing everyone is buying in bulk in the lead up to Easter & they haven't restocked yet," another pointed out.

A supermarket employee also weighed in on the topic via Facebook, saying it's "not a shock" that the elusive eggs have once again vanished from supermarket shelves.

"The Cadbury mini eggs sell out early every year. One of the first things to go. I get asked most days I'm at work if we have any. And we haven't in probably two weeks," they said.

To aid frantic fans as stocks wane, Cadbury has even gone as far as launching an official "Mini Eggs locator" list this year, which is updated weekly.

"Cadbury Mini Eggs are one of our most popular Easter products, and we know how fast they sell every year," a spokesperson for Cadbury parent company Mondelēz International told nine.com.au.

They went on to list a number of alternatives should shoppers not be able to find the treat, including the Micro Mini Eggs Bunny or Micro Mini Eggs Gift Box, saying that "both deliver that same iconic crunchy shell with smooth Cadbury chocolate inside."

Even in the wake of the tracker's launch, Woolworths have now confirmed the news no mini egg enthusiasts want to hear: that the sought-after staple has "pretty much sold out on our end."

"They're super popular picks; over one million units across the two flavours have flown off shelves this year," a Woolies spokesperson told nine.com.au.

Coles, on the other hand, provided a glimmer of hope, saying they were "working closely with suppliers" to bring back as much stock into stores as possible prior to Easter.

"Stock is imported from Europe and availability is limited due to supplier capacity, which means some stores may sell out faster than others," Coles said.

"We're working closely with Cadbury to maximise availability."

This is not the first time reports of shortages for the sugar-encased choccy treat have circulated, with many Aussie fans facing similar struggles last season.

The scarcity of the product sparked discontinuation fears at the time – though thankfully Woolworths quickly stepped in to dispel these rumours.

"We have seen an increase in the popularity of Cadbury Mini Eggs this year," a Woolworths spokesperson , explaining the product's lack of availability.

"This rise is likely due to the versatility of the eggs and various recipes made popular by TikTok," they revealed.

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