Upbeat Spending Forecast for Easter by NRF

Consumer spending related to Easter (April 5) is expected to reach a record total of $24.9 billion this year, according to an annual survey released today by the National Retail Federation and Prosper Insights & Analytics. That amount surpasses the previous record of $24 billion set in 2023. On a per-person basis, shoppers are budgeting a record high of $195.59, up from the previous record of $192.01 in 2023.

“While economic uncertainty remains on the minds of many, consumers are still focused on holiday celebrations like Easter,” NRF Chief Economist and Executive Director of Research Mark Mathews said. “Holidays provide an important opportunity for families to reconnect and create lasting memories, even as economic conditions fluctuate.”

Among the survey’s findings:

* As has been the case in recent years, the most popular shopping destinations are discount stores (55%) followed by department stores (42%) and online (34%).

* Candy is the leading shopping category for Easter this year, with 92% of consumers planning to purchase sweets. Other top categories include food (90%), gifts (64%), decorations (53%) and clothing (51%). Across these categories, food spending is expected to reach $7.5 billion, followed by gifts ($3.9 billion), clothing ($3.7 billion), candy ($3.5 billion) and flowers ($2.2 billion).

* For consumers not planning to celebrate the holiday this year, more than half (54%) still plan to take advantage of Easter‑related sales across categories such as candy, food and clothing.

The survey drew responses from 7845 adult consumers about their Easter shopping plans. It was conducted March 2-11 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 1.1 percentage points.

Click here for more from the survey.