A recent analysis of Easter UK consumer spending by GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company, has revealed a number of insights to help retailers increase sales during the Easter holiday period.

The analysis has revealed that a higher proportion of total spend is on leisure activities at Easter than on any other spending occasion during this holiday period.

In 2017 40.8%* of Easter spend was made on non-retail products which includes leisure activities, compared to 34.3% on Mother’s Day for the same type of products.

IMAGE FOR PUBLICATION: Please Click on Link for Chart: ‘Easter 2017 Retail and Non-Retail % of overall spend’

Eleanor Parr, Retail Analyst at GlobalData, commented, ‘‘Easter gifting, such as cards or presents, is not commonplace in comparison to other seasonal events such as Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day, meaning that the proportion of Easter spend dedicated to retail is lower. Given the Easter event includes two bank holidays along with the annual Easter break for school children, consumers have more time and the inclination to pursue leisure activities.

‘‘This year retailers must take every opportunity to win spend from non-retail categories over the Easter period. Grocers should entice consumers away from dining out over Easter by promoting specific Easter meal deals, for example offering all the ingredients for a family roast dinner at a discounted rate. Retailers with instore dining could also offer a dine-in discount to tempt consumers into stores over Easter.’’

GlobalData’s research also confirmed that fewer consumers purchased chocolate Easter eggs & novelties (such as Easter biscuits, chocolate animals or mini eggs) in 2017 versus the previous year, with 53.4% of consumers purchasing them in 2017 v 57.5% in 2016, a fall of nearly 4%.

IMAGE FOR PUBLICATION: Please Click on Link for Chart: ‘Easter eggs and novelties % of people buying these items in 2017 v 2016’

Parr continued, ‘‘In an attempt to cut down on discretionary spending this year, cash strapped shoppers are avoiding purchasing costly Easter eggs. All age groups and almost all socio demographic profiles reduced their Easter egg and novelties spend in Easter 2017 and we forecast that this trend is set to continue as less shoppers participate in the market and those that do increasingly look for lower priced bargains at discounters.

‘‘We are also seeing a growing demand for entirely chocolate free Easter eggs. One example is Blackstick’s Blue, who are selling a ‘Cheester’ egg made entirely from cheese, which appeals to those without a sweet tooth.

‘‘The current trend towards health & wellness has also led to some consumers shunning Easter eggs completely and buying into non-food related Easter products, such as beauty eggs.

‘‘Over the next five years we expect to see a much greater diversity in the products purchased for Easter as retailers attempt to drive spend around the occasion.’’

* source: GlobalData Easter 2017 Report. Consumers were asked what they bought for Easter in 2017, covering leisure activities and retail purchases.