Consumer spending over Easter is predicted to reach £4.36bn this year, so retailers will aim to pull in customers looking for gifts.

Asda's Easter TV ad

How big is the market?

The Easter retail market is predicted to reach £4.36bn this year, up 3.2% on last year, according to research by Conlumino and ecommerce company Webloyalty. Food and drink sales during the period are expected to rise 4.5% to £2.1bn, while the amount consumers spend on Easter gifts is forecast to edge up 1.4% to £720m. Last year’s snow created tough trading conditions and while the weather forecast for this year is mixed, retailers can be hopeful they won’t face the arctic conditions of 12 months ago.

How does Easter compare to other holidays?

Amounting to a four-day weekend, Easter is one of the biggest trading periods of the year for much of the industry, especially food groups, for whom the period is second after Christmas.

Which retailers benefit?

Consumers snap up a range of products such as chocolate eggs, gifts, garden furniture and home improvement tools over the Easter holidays. For home improvement and furniture retailers it is a particularly critical period – Britons tend to use the long weekend to spruce up their homes. Depending on the weather, garden retailers could rake in the cash. Almost a fifth of people plan to do some gardening over the Easter holidays, reported Conlumino. Family get-togethers mean food is central to Easter festivities, presenting a big opportunity for supermarkets. Chocolatiers including Thorntons and Hotel Chocolat benefit from the demand for Easter eggs. Retailers in general benefit from gifting and stationers are also expected to see an uplift as people buy greeting cards to mark the occasion.

How can retailers capitalise on the holiday?

Easter marks a time when retailers unleash their best egg hunt, bunny and hot cross bun-themed marketing campaigns to consumers. Asda has just launched a TV ad campaign featuring Easter chicks to pull in customers over the crucial trading period. The TV ad is supported by a social media campaign, which allows fans to create their own personalised chick dance routine and share online. During April, DIY retailers launch marketing to lure in customers looking to renovate their homes. B&Q has invested £10m in an ad campaign to encourage consumers to spend their Easter on home improvement.