File photoYou weren't imagining it - Valentine's Day chocolate probably was more expensive this year. Infometrics chief executive Brad Olsen said there was usually a price increase for chocolate in either January or February in the lead-up to Valentine's Day. "But chocolate prices have now increased 20 percent, that's three months in a row of double digit annual price increases." Cocoa prices had eased a little from highs earlier in 2025 but New Zealand chocolate prices never lifted as much as cocoa did. "Long story short, where international chocolate prices were at the end of last year up a good 37 percent from where international cocoa prices were two years ago.

Source: Otago Daily Times February 17, 2026 14:55 UTC