Consumers plan to spend an average of $179.70 this Easter, the highest figure on record, according to results of a recent survey.
According to the National Retail Federation and Prosper Insights & Analytics survey, a total of 79 percent of Americans will celebrate the holiday and spend a collective $21.6 billion, down slightly from last year’s pre-pandemic forecast of $21.7 billion.
Easter gifts, food and candy are the biggest drivers of growth this year. Consumers plan to spend an average of $31.06 on gifts (up from $27.91 in 2020), $52.50 on food (up from $51.76) and $25.22 on candy (up from $23.30).
As more and more individuals become vaccinated, consumers are planning to celebrate in ways they might have missed last year due to COVID-19. The newest CDC guidance on gatherings means some families might be able to plan a festive meal with vaccinated family members or take advantage of warmer weather and gather outside.
This year, consumers plan to mark the holiday by cooking a holiday meal (59 percent), visiting with family and friends (43 percent), watching TV (43 percent), planning an Easter egg hunt (31 percent) or attending church (28 percent). However, not everyone is ready to resume in-person activities, with 22 percent indicating they will attend church virtually and 24 percent saying they will connect with their loved ones by phone or video.
For those looking to purchase Easter-related items, 48 percent will shop at discount stores, 35 percent will visit department stores, 35 percent will make purchases online, 23 percent will go to a specialty store and 23 percent will go to a small business or local store. Similar to other holiday events during the pandemic, this year’s online shopping figure (35 percent) is the highest in survey history, up from 28 percent last year.
While not everyone plans to celebrate, plenty of shoppers will be on the hunt for Easter-related sales. More than half (52 percent) of those who don’t celebrate Easter still plan to take advantage of these deals and expect to spend an average of $21.11 (up from $17.64 in 2020). The most popular item is candy, which respondents have shown transcends across age, gender and disposable incomes.