Shoppers were baffled to discover Easter eggs and hot cross buns stocked at a major supermarket months before the April holidays.
A Woolworths shopper, who lives in Mosman on Sydney’s lower north shore, shared a photo of rows of Cadbury Easter bunnies on display in her local store.
“Give it a break,” the shopper wrote in the scathing social media post.
Dozens of packets of Cadbury Dairy Milk Easter eggs and bags of Turkish Delight Easter eggs were also being sold at the Woolworths store.
‘Just one day after Christmas and that’s it – hot cross buns are on the shelves!’ one person wrote on social media.
Customers were quick to criticize the supermarket giant for the move as millions of Australians finished celebrating Christmas and New Year’s Eve.
Eagle-eyed shoppers spotted hot cross buns as early as Boxing Day.
“It’s ridiculous, let’s at least get Christmas over with first,” another person wrote.
Dozens of Cadbury Easter bunnies are sold in Woolworths stores across Australia (pictured is the selection at a retail store in Mosman, on Sydney’s lower north shore)
Woolworths confirmed hot cross buns are being sold in stores across Australia.
“When it comes to hot cross buns, Australians love all varieties, both traditional and non-traditional, so this year we’ve brought a range to stores that serves something for everyone,” a spokesperson said. NCA Newswire.
Easter will be celebrated on Sunday 20 April this year and Australia’s Easter long weekend will begin on Good Friday 18 April.
Woolworths will introduce its new four-pack of ‘Cinnabon’ hot cross buns in March, with a cream cheese filling and a cinnamon swirl.
The retailer launched Caramilk flavored fairy bread and hot cross buns in all stores last year, which were a big hit with shoppers.
Daily Mail Australia has contacted Woolworths and Coles for further comment.
Woolworths announced earlier this month that it will stock Australia Day items this year after the retailer was criticized for abandoning the national celebration last year.
The retailer revealed that all of its Woolworths and Big W stores will offer a special “Perfect for Australia Day” section this month.
Shoppers also noticed hot cross buns being sold in Woolworths stores (pictured) as early as Boxing Day last year, before Australians celebrated New Year’s Eve.
Although the deals will mainly focus on food, customers will also have the opportunity to pick up an Australian or Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flag while they shop.
Customers will also be able to purchase additional branded items such as T-shirts, bucket hats and sunglasses.
The pushback comes after the retailer came under fire last January after it surprised customers by announcing it would not stock Australia Day products.
A Woolworths spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia that last year’s decision was due to “a decline in demand in our stores”, but that this time the company’s outlets “will celebrate Australia Day as a team and with our clients”.
“We listened and recognized that many customers and teams wanted us to do more to help them celebrate the day,” the spokesperson said.