March 24, 2021 — The National Retail Federation (NRF) has shared that, according to results from its annual survey with Proper Insights & Analytics, consumers plan to spend an average of $179.7 this Easter—the highest figure on record.

Nearly 80% of Americans will celebrate the holiday, leading to a spending collective of $21.6 billion, which is down slightly from last year’s pre-pandemic forecast of $21.7 billion, shares the NRF.

“With new stimulus funds from the President’s American Rescue Plan, positive trends in vaccinations, and growing consumer confidence, there is a lot of momentum heading into the spring and holiday events like Easter,” says Matthew Shay, NRF president and CEO. “Many have figured out how to celebrate holidays safely with family and that is reflected in consumer spending this Easter.”

The NRF has shared that spending on Easter gifts (projected at an average of $31.06), food (projected at $52.5), and candy (projected at $25.22) are the biggest drivers of growth this year. 

The survey found that for consumers purchasing Easter-related items, 48% will shop at discount stores, 35% will visit department stores, 35% will make purchases online, 23% will go to a specialty store, and 23% will go to a small business or local store. Similar to other holiday events during the pandemic, this year’s online shopping figure (35%) is the highest in the survey’s history, up from 28% in 2020.

In addition, 52% of surveyed consumers who don’t celebrate Easter shared that they still plan to take advantage of Easter-related sales, with an expected average spend of $21.11 (which is up from $17.64 last year). 

For more information and U.S. retail stats: nrf.com.