Easter spending expected to reach record $24 billion

Eighty-one percent of Americans will celebrate and spend an average of $192 on primarily candy, gifts and food.

Consumers plan to spend a collective $24 billion on Easter this year, up from $20.8 billion in 2022 and the previous record high of $21.7 billion in 2020, according to an annual survey released by the National Retail Federation (NRF) and Prosper Insights & Analytics. Eighty-one percent of Americans will celebrate the holiday and spend an average of $192.01, the highest figure on record, according to the survey.

“Easter endures as an important holiday for many Americans, signifying new beginnings and a time of celebration with friends and family,” NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay says. “As consumers plan to mark the occasion through a variety of traditions, retailers are dedicated to making this year a memorable holiday.”

Spending is growing across several categories, and the top Easter items consumers say they are planning to purchase include candy ($3.3 billion), gifts ($3.8 billion) and food ($7.3 billion). Consumers are also expected to spend $4 billion on clothing, $1.8 billion on flowers and $1.7 billion on decorations, along with $1.1 billion on greeting cards.

The most popular Easter Sunday activities this year include cooking a holiday meal (56%), visiting family and friends (50%), going to church (43%) or planning an Easter egg hunt (34%).

As in previous years, most consumers (54%) say they will buy Easter gifts from discount stores. Other shopping destinations include department stores (42%), online (33%), local and small businesses (22%), and specialty stores (20%).

“We are seeing real Easter sales growth compared with pre-pandemic, and among the drivers are consumers who are planning to purchase more Easter clothing and gifts,” Prosper Executive Vice President of Strategy Phil Rist says. “Additionally, consumers ages 35 to 44 will bump up their spending more than any other group."

Those celebrating say they are inspired to shop for Easter-related items because of tradition (63%), it’s a social activity with family or friends (31%), sales or promotions (29%), store displays or decorations (23%), or exclusive or seasonal products (20%).

About half (54%) of those not celebrating the holiday still plan to take advantage of Easter-related bargains. They anticipate spending $23.41 per person and are primarily looking to purchase candy and food.

The NRF provides data on consumer behavior and spending for key periods such as holidays throughout the year.

The survey of 8,499 U.S. adult consumers was conducted March 1-7 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 1.1 percentage points.