More shoppers plan to hop online to buy for Easter.
More than a quarter of all shoppers (26.8%) intend to buy something online this year for Easter, up from 21.4% last year, according to a study from the National Retail Federation in conjunction with Prosper Insights. The NRF and Prosper Insights base their findings on a March survey of 7,411 shoppers.
Online also jumped two spots, going to third from the fifth as the most popular place consumers plan to shop. E-commerce sites trailed discount stores and department stores, leaping ahead of local/small businesses and specialty stores, according to the study. Easter is April 16.
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Total Easter-related spending is expected to increase 6.4% year over year to a record $18.4 billion, up from $17.3 billion last year and the the third straight year in which overall sales have been projected to grow, the study finds. NRF president and CEO Matthew Shay says spending bump is all about the timing of the holiday this year, with Easter falling later in the season, compared with March 27 last year.
“Most consumers have almost an entire extra month to shop for Easter this year, and by the time the holiday comes the weather should be significantly warmer than last Easter,” Shay said.
Shoppers’ shopping baskets—in addition to their Easter baskets—are expected to be fuller this year. The NRF projects an average Easter spend per shopper of $152, up 4.1% from $146 last year.
Candy (88.7%) ranks as the most popular item shoppers plan to buy for the holiday. Here’s a look at other popular Easter product categories, with the percentage of consumers planning to buy from them:
- Food: 87.0%
- General gifts: 60.9%
- Clothing: 49.6%
- Flowers: 39.2%