CHRISTMAS stock has barely left the shelves and already Ballarat's supermarkets have rolled out hot cross buns and Easter eggs.The Courier found hot cross buns on the shelves of Safeway and Woolworths supermarkets in Ballarat and Wendouree, along with hot cross buns and Cadbury Creme Eggs in Coles.In all three stores, Christmas stock including the popular candy canes, were still on display.Do you think it's too early to buy Easter eggs and hot cross buns? CLICK HERE to cast your vote in our online poll.Woolworths spokesman Luke Schepen said the supermarket introduced them in the first week of January, in stores across the country, and had done so for years."It simply comes down to customers like them in the New Year," he said. "We sell hot cross buns up until Easter and we sell quite a lot."Mr Schepen said a limited Easter egg range was brought out at this time of year, which included Cadbury Creme Eggs, a popular seller.A Coles media spokesman was unavailable for comment about its range.Ballarat mum Carolyn Loader bought hot cross buns at one of the stores yesterday, saying she usually stocked them in the freezer."There's plenty (of Easter items) around; people just don't want to admit to buying them at this time of year," she said. "But they're just beautiful."On the bakery side, Beechworth Bakery said it expected to have the buns at the start of March .A Baker's Delight employee said it would be some time before they would have the buns available, while Brumby's Bakery at Northway Shopping Centre expected to start making them a month before Easter.