Brands from Cadbury to Peeps have taken to releasing Easter-related merchandise starting in January, which may be great news for shoppers who've been craving some cream-filled Easter egg goodness since last April. However, the early stocking also tricks shoppers into spending more money on Easter candy than they intended.

"Customers will buy Easter eggs as soon as they can," one undisclosed retailer told The Guardian in 2018, and this may be even more true in 2023, since supply chain issues are taking effect on both retail inventories and customer purchases. However, this stock-up-while-you-can, plan-ahead ideology can quickly backfire.

Consumer psychologist Dr. Catherine Jansson-Boyd states that many consumers end up eating their Easter candy right after purchasing it. She says that if you buy Easter eggs and treats in January, you'll likely run out and need to buy more later, so candy hitting the stores early just gives us more time to shop, buy, and consume.