It’s the end of an era. This article from USA Today has some interesting facts about Easter this year, including the fact that it will be a record year of spending, some 6% over last year. But more shocking than that is that according to one survey, Peeps are no longer the #1 favorite Easter candy out there after decades of dominance.
What happened? Did the new generation of milennials finally realize that Peeps are basically nothing but sugar and have zero nutritional value? Or did everyone just get tired of Peeps Overkill with all the new products they’ve rolled out. (I’ll pass on the $99.99 giant Peep, thank you.) We’ve all known Peeps are just something you eat for instant gratification so I just don’t get it.
So what’s the new #1 favorite? Is it the traditional jelly beans? No. Chocolate flavored rabbits? No. Hershey’s Chocolate Eggs? Close, but no. The new favorite is actually Reese’s Peanut Butter Eggs. Is this a healthy eating thing because they actually have 4 grams of protein and 1 gram of fiber? They’re also 170 calories each by the way, with 16 grams of sugar.
Kudos to Hershey’s for taking an item that usually comes in a bright orange package which would definitely make you think Halloween and making it into an Easter powerhouse. But I lament the dethroning of the mighty Peep.
Happy Easter!
Americans will spend a record $18.4 billion on Easter this year.
The National Retail Federation, in its annual Easter forecast, said that number is 6% larger than the $17.3 billion spent in 2016.
The organization credits the late Easter for driving spending.
“Most consumers have almost an entire month to shop for Easter this year, and by the time the holiday comes the weather should be significantly warmer than last Easter,” said Matthew Shay, NRF president and CEO. “That should put shoppers in the frame of mind to splurge on spring apparel along with Easter decorations.”
People plan to drop an average of $152 per person this year. The biggest expense will be food, with Americans dishing out $5.8 billion, plus $2.6 billion on candy. The organization expects spending on clothing to surge to $3.3 billion, 45% higher than last year. Americans also will spend $2.6 billion on gifts, $1.2 billion on flowers, $1.1 billion on decorations and $788 million on greeting cards.
However, only about a quarter of Easter shoppers plan to buy at a local small business, an NRF survey found. The majority said they’d shop at discount stores and nearly half will go to department stores. Another quarter will shop online.
What is America’s favorite Easter candy?
The bulk shopping website Boxed.com noted its best seller is the Mars Easter variety pack, filled with Snickers, Twix, Milky Way, and 3 Musketeers.
However, a survey by coupon website RetalMeNot found Reese’s Mini Peanut Butter Chocolate Eggs reigned supreme, followed by chocolate bunnies, jelly beans, Hershey’s Eggs and Peeps.