Vouchers, offers, reductions and free delivery are the name of the game as retailers go all out to maximise sales over the crucial four-day holiday.

Easter bunny

Why are we talking about it now?

Easter weekend, which this year falls April 6 to 9, is a crucial time of the year for retailers to drum up sales, and such events become more critical in a tough market.

How important is Easter to retailers?

Very. The holiday is one of the largest events of the year for food, second only to Christmas. The four-day holiday gives consumers extra time to shop, but it is not just Easter eggs and hot cross buns that sell well over the period. Gifting, furniture, summer clothing and garden equipment sell well as the warmer weather hits.

Which retailers benefit?

Supermarkets do well as shoppers stock up on Easter-related food. But they also benefit from the gifting side. Tesco took the lion’s share of supermarket spend over Easter 2011 (30%). It was followed by Asda (19%), Sainsbury’s (16%), Morrisons (11%) and M&S (6%). Easter is also a lucrative period for confectioners such as Hotel Chocolat and will give ailing chocolatier Thorntons the chance to re-establish a connection with shoppers, says Verdict principal analyst Patrick O’Brien.

Easter is the biggest time of the year for home improvement retailers, as Britons embark on DIY projects over the four days. If combined with good weather, garden centres are expected to do well too as people get their gardens ready for summer.

What are retailers doing to take advantage of it?

Tesco, Morrisons and Asda have all been targeting the Easter weekend by offering vouchers in the run-up to the event, with the hope of enticing shoppers back over the holiday.

Supermarkets have launched online initiatives that centre on making Easter easier for customers, offering tips and recipes. Waitrose, for example, is offering recipes by Heston Blumenthal and Delia Smith. Sainsbury’s, Morrisons, Asda and Tesco are following suit with their own selection of recipes. Sainsbury’s and M&S are also offering considerable savings on furniture and homewares.

DIY retailers are also playing on the family theme. B&Q is offering ‘Kids can do it’ classes in stores on Easter Saturday and Sunday in which children can assemble a wooden Easter egg holder.

The Garden Centre Group has invited members of its Gardening Club to open days at centres across the country while Wickes is offering delivery on Good Friday and Easter Monday at no extra cost.

In fashion, M&S, George at Asda, Matalan and Tesco’s F&F are offering reductions in children’s summer clothing, as well as reductions in the adult categories.