Shoppers divided as Australian supermarket Coles releases 'Boxing Day' hot cross buns

Australian supermarket giant Coles is getting a jump on the competition, revealing they're already selling traditional hot cross buns under the name 'Boxing Day buns'. 

From Thursday December 26, hungry shoppers can pick up the fruit and cinnamon buns, typically eaten in April to celebrate Easter. 

It's not the first time Easter treats have turned up in supermarkets eye-wateringly early, but the year before must be some sort of record. 

In January of this year, Kiwi shoppers expressed outrage at hot cross buns returning only a fortnight after Christmas.  

According to 7 News, Coles says the early return of the hot cross bun was due to raging success of sales during last year's end-of-year period. 

But the move has divided shoppers, with some accusing Coles of "destroying tradition".

"At least wait until the new year......just had Christmas for crying out loud," one person wrote on the Coles Facebook page.

"Boxing Day buns! Really! Don't insult my intelligence by calling them anything but what they are EASTER Hot Cross buns," wrote another. 

So far there have been no reports of hot cross buns showing up in Kiwi supermarkets, but if the overseas success is anything to go by, it's only a matter of time.