WASHINGTON – Along with his counterparts, Santa Claus and Cupid, the Easter Bunny will do his share to contribute to the U.S. economy this year.
A new survey by the National Retail Federation shows Americans will shell out more than $145 each this year on everything from clothing to candy and decorations for Easter. That number is up 11 percent from last year.
Tough economic times won’t keep the Easter bunny away this spring.
“Easter is one of the few holidays some consumers are willing to stretch their budgets, especially because many children look forward to treats and new outfits on Easter morning,” says NRF President Matthew Shay in a news release.
Total spending on flowers, eggs, peeps, chocolate bunnies and bonnets is expected to hit more than $16 billion this year.
The NRF surveyed more than 9,000 consumers to gauge behavior and shopping trends.
Below is a chart from the National Retail Federation depicting the average consumer spending on Easter over the past five years:
WTOP’s Debra Feinstein contributed to this report. Follow WTOP on Twitter.
(Copyright 2012 by WTOP. All Rights Reserved.)
