Easter retail forecast is sunny

3/23/2018
Shoppers are gearing up for the Easter holiday.

Easter spending is expected to total $18.2 billion this year, slightly down from a record $18.4 billion in 2017, but still the second-highest level on record, according to the annual survey by the National Retail Federation and Prosper Insights & Analytics. A total of 81% of Americans will celebrate the holiday and spend an average of $150 per person, down from last year’s previous record of $152.

“Despite a modest drop, the Easter forecast is still very positive and nearly as high as last year’s record,” said NRF president and CEO Matthew Shay. “Consumer spending remains healthy both for this holiday and this spring.”

According to the survey, consumers will spend $5.7 billion on food (purchased by 87% of shoppers), $3.2 billion on clothing (48%), $2.9 billion on gifts (61%), $2.6 billion on candy (89%), $1.3 billion on flowers (39%), $1.1 billion on decorations (42%) and $780 million on greeting cards (46%).

In preparation for the Easter holiday, 59% of consumers will shop at discount stores, 46% will visit department stores, 28% will make purchases online, 25% will go to a specialty store and 25% will go to a small business or local store.
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