Dusseldorf, 11 December 2025 (dpa/MIA) – Swiss chocolate manufacturer Lindt & Sprüngli has turned down a partnership with German discount supermarkets Aldi and Lidl, saying this would undermine its produce.

"Otherwise, we'll end up with more and more special offers and devalue our brand," chief executive Adalbert Lechner said in an interview published on Thursday with Germany's Die Zeit newspaper.

In other supermarkets, Lindt receives "premium placement that gives the brand space," said Lechner, while discounters sell the products at low prices. Lidl and Aldi declined to comment when approached by dpa.

Chocolate manufacturers such as Lindt, Mondelez (Milka) and Ritter Sport are struggling with rising raw cocoa prices due to poor harvests and other supply issues.

This has noticeable consequences for consumers, with the price of chocolate growing rapidly in recent years.

In October, customers paid an average of 77% more for a bar of chocolate than in 2020.

According to market researchers such as YouGov, this has led to a decline in chocolate purchases.

Although prices on the commodity exchanges decreased recently, they remain comparatively high. Lechner does not expect chocolate to become cheaper again any time soon.

"Even if the price of cocoa falls, I don't expect chocolate prices to fall," he told Die Zeit.

Photo: EPA