6 Easter Shopping Trends and Sales Tips to Increase Revenue

In 2016, shoppers are expected to spend $17.3 billion on Easter items, according to the National Retail Federation’s annual Easter Spending Survey conducted by Prosper Insights and Analytics. Buyers are planning to spend an average of $146 per person, according to the survey. That’s good news, as it’s the highest level in the 13 years the survey has been conducted and up significantly over last year’s $140.62 per person and $16.4 billion total. Even better: 21.4% of buyers will shop online, up from 18.8% last year.

Here are some trends and tips to increase Easter online sales:

1. Feature what shoppers are looking for. The survey says that consumers will spend $5.5 billion on food, $3 billion on clothing, $2.7 billion on gifts, $2.4 billion on candy and $1.2 billion on flowers. If you sell any of those items, feature them in your marketing efforts. Use those keywords in advertising on Google or Facebook. Make sure that your Web site search also includes those terms related to your products.

2. Continue to focus on mobile. 22.8% of Easter product buyers who own smartphones will research products on their devices while 14.9% will use their phones to make a purchase. Your Easter mobile promotions and marketing efforts are increasingly important to your sales efforts.

3. Show Easter activities in your marketing efforts. According to the survey, consumers celebrate Easter in a number of different ways: 57.8% will visit family and friends, 55.6% will cook a holiday meal, 51.3% will go to church and 15.6% will go to a restaurant. In addition, 31.4% of consumers plan an Easter egg hunt and 13.9 percent will open gifts. Creating lifestyle photos or images of your products in those situations will create an immediate connection for potential buyers.

4. Offer promotions. Getting something for free or at a discount is always high on shoppers’ lists. ShipStation customer and wreath creator Ever Blooming Originals offers this giveaway of its popular bunny wreath on its Facebook page:

Obtaining discounts by finding Easter eggs is a creative promotion from ShipStation customer and eco-friendly fashion retailer Amour Vert:

5. Use images. We’re a visual world. Use images instead of text when possible. In addition to creating or buying images, Volusion offers free eCommerce images for Easter, like the one below, and other spring holidays, here.

6. Offer last-minute special deals. Easter is early this year (March 27), and is bound to throw off even some of the most organized shoppers. Plan your inventory and shipping and fulfillment options accordingly, and send emails and other marketing messages out a week before Easter to promote them, and make sure you can deliver on time.

Bottom line: Easter is fast approaching. Hop to your marketing and sales efforts to get a piece of the Easter sales basket!