Tesco, Sainsbury's and Waitrose reveal why Easter eggs have been hitting shelves before and after New Year leaving customers baffled

Residents in Portsmouth and across the UK have been left in disbelief after seeing the April treats being offered at discounted prices. This is despite the holiday being months away.

NOW READ: Tributes paid to 'Cosham's nan' Maureen Clark after former newsagent died on Christmas Eve

Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Morrisons and Waitrose have launched Easter confectionary ranges, with a variety of items being on display even before the new year. Despite the strange timing, supermarkets have said this is nothing new.

A spokesperson at Sainsbury’s told Sky News: ‘Each year we stock some seasonal products in advance of the main holiday period. This is because some customers like to buy gifts and longer life items in plenty of time, or treat themselves early.’

Tesco added it will be a few weeks until customers can choose from their entire Easter range, but will be releasing them in due course. ‘However, we know some of our customers like to buy their eggs early, so we have started selling a small selection in some of our stores,’ they said.

SEE ALSO: Gosport woman wants to see 'ghost town' high street transformed to bring people back to high street

Waitrose said the move was entirely based around high customer demand, particularly for products such as Mini Eggs and Creme Eggs. They added some customers are buying products early to spread out the cost of Easter.

Some Twitter users have been left bemused by the decision despite the convenience for some. ‘I have seen Easter eggs in Tesco, this is not a drill. Oh my days’, HollieAgombar said.

Jen Radford added: ‘It's only the 2nd of January, and the Easter Eggs are already in the shops... Easter Sunday isn't til the 9th April.’