Sainsbury’s and the Co-op have this year stopped carrying “The Real Easter Egg”, a Fairtrade chocolate egg that comes with materials telling the story of the Resurrection of Christ. These eggs, which also serve to benefit charity, have been available in Tesco, Morrisons, the Co-op, Sainsbury’s and Waitrose since 2012. This year, however, is different. Both the Co-op and Sainsbury’s have declined to stock the eggs, allegedly because the eggs sold poorly.
Opposition
David Marshall is the head of the company that produces Real Easter Eggs, The Meaningful Chocolate Company. He has noted a persistent opposition to the eggs from some supermarkets. He says, "One buyer asked us what Easter had got to do with the Church, while another simply said, “I don’t think this is a credible product” and asked us to leave."
Motivation
Despite claims from Sainsbury’s and the Co-op that financial motivations drove them to drop the Real Easter Egg, the numbers tell a different story. According to the Real Easter Egg website, over 400,000 eggs have been sold in the egg’s four years of production. David Marshall notes, "We do wonder at times if there is an anti-Christian agenda from some of our supermarkets who just keep turning it down.
Significance
Former Archbishop of Canterbury, George Carey, commenting on Sainsbury’s and the Co-op’s decisions, said: "These Easter eggs, that have nothing to do with Easter, all they are trying to do is get more money out of people. They have no meaning . . .. By not offering an alternative to secular Easter eggs they are really undermining the real message of Easter. It saddens me because we are living in a land that is completely losing contact with its religious roots and is out of touch with the Christian message."
Related Coverage:
Supermarkets accused of ‘anti-Christian agenda’ over Easter eggs (Times)