Consumers hunting for bargains this Easter

Inflation concerns will impact the way consumers shop this Easter season.

Consumers plan to spend an average $169.79 this year on Easter-related items, according to the annual survey by the National Retail Federation and Prosper Insights & Analytics. A total of 80% of Americans will celebrate the holiday and spend a collective $20.8 billion, down slightly from last year's forecast of $21.6 billion. (Easter falls on April 17 this year.)

Inflation concerns are driving consumers to seek the most value for their dollar when shopping for the holiday. If the price of an Easter-related item is higher than expected, 42% of consumers said they will look for it at another retailer and 31% will find an alternative like another brand or color. Similar to last year, 56% of holiday shoppers plan to purchase gifts at discount stores, 41% at department stores and 35% online.

More than half (51%) of consumers are planning in-person celebrations, up from 43% last year, with food accounting for the largest spending category. Among those planning to celebrate Easter, the average spend is $53.61 on food, followed by $28.04 on gifts and $27.93 on clothing.

“Even those not celebrating Easter still plan to spend an average of $18.49 per person, underscoring this popular holiday’s wide economic reach,” said Prosper Insights executive VP of strategy Phil Rist.

While consumers are prioritizing in-person celebrations, virtual holiday plans have declined sharply since the beginning of the pandemic. Only 13% are planning to visit family and friends virtually, a 62%decrease from 2020.

Virtual church service attendance is also expected to be down. Only 12% are planning to attend by phone or video compared with 32% in 2020.

The survey of 8,155 consumers was conducted March 1-9 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 1.1 percentage points.