Consumers Ready for Bunnies, Eggs and Jellybeans
WASHINGTON – Ready for sunshine, chocolate eggs and jellybeans, consumers are expected to spend an average of $137.46 each on apparel, food, candy and gifts this Easter season. Total spending is expected to reach $15.9 billion.
The per-person average is down slightly from the $145.13 consumers spent last year, according to the National Retail Federation's Easter Spending Survey.
“The winter doldrums left consumers with a lot of pent-up demand, and though many Americans may take a cautious approach to spending on Easter items this year, retailers are anticipating that warmer weather will easily put consumers in the mood to buy bright clothes, holiday decorations and more,” said Matthew Shay, federation president and CEO. “As one of the biggest holidays of the year, retailers are looking forward to increased customer traffic in stores and online and will roll out promotions on everything from garden supplies and patio sets to apparel and grocery items as they help their customers prepare for the holiday.”
Though fewer Americans will celebrate the holiday this year (80.3% versus 83% last year), families still look forward to their traditional meals. Those who do plan to celebrate will spend the most on groceries for a family dinner or Sunday brunch out, according to the survey. Of those celebrating, 85.7% will spend an average of $43.18 on a holiday meal, which should total $5 billion.
Nearly 43% will buy new spring attire, spending an average of $22.71; total spending on apparel is expected to reach $2.6 billion. Nine in 10 (89.3%) of those celebrating will buy Easter candy, spending a total of $2.2 billion. Families will also spend on gifts ($2.4 billion), flowers ($1.1 billion) and decorations ($1.1 billion).
The survey also found that many use smartphones or tablets to check off their Easter shopping list. Of those who own smartphones, nearly one in four (23.4%) will use their device to research products or compare prices. Just 12.2 % will use their smartphone to make a purchase. Nearly one in five (19.2%) tablet owners will make a purchase on their devices, but many simply research holiday gifts, apparel and other items (30.2%).
Published by The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.
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