With roughly 80% of U.S. adults planning to celebrate Easter, it’s not a holiday to overlook.

From candy and flowers to other festivities, Easter consumers spend $151 on average throughout the holiday season. Of those not celebrating the holiday, 48% intend to take advantage of Easter sales, spending an average of $19.

Young Millennials And Gen Zers Boast Enthusiastic Behavior During Easter

Young consumers, those under the age of 35, are most enthusiastic about the spring holiday and are the only age group that has shown steady interest in Easter over the past decade.

While the most popular activities are traditional ones, like attending church or having a meal with family, many of the younger and most interested consumers may take more modern-day actions like browsing the web or shopping online. Young consumers are also more likely than older consumers to plan Easter egg hunts.

Convenience, Sales And Social Aspects Encourage Young Consumers To Increase Easter Holiday Shopping

In 2009, only 12% of consumers under 35 said they planned to increase spending for their Easter celebrations. Today, the National Retail Federation notes, that number has doubled. Young consumers are heavily influenced by store displays and seasonal products, and many think of Easter shopping as a social activity they can partake in with friends and family.

Shoppers under 35 plan to increase Easter shopping on mobile devices this year. Four years ago, only 63% of interested consumers were using their smartphones to make purchases during the Easter season. This year, nearly three-quarters of these consumers plan to use their smartphones to shop during the Easter holiday.

Brands Embrace Easter To Promote Campaigns

With many Millennials and Gen Zers interested in the Easter holiday, brands have leveraged its popularity to position their products as must-haves for the celebration.

Peep’s Marshmallows: Peep On A Perch

First there was Elf on a Shelf [insert link to Elf on a Shelf article], now there’s Peep on a Perch. This Easter season, consumers can buy brightly-colored, stuffed marshmallow Peeps to watch over their kids. It’s one way to make sure children are on their best behavior during the spring season. “The more kindness the Easter Peep sees, the happier the Easter Peep gets!”

And this $19 toy requires kid participation. Unlike Elf on a Shelf, the kids, not the parents, are responsible for moving the peep around every day so it can monitor their behavior. While the Elf on a Shelf reports to Santa, it’s unclear who exactly the Peep reports back to, but the stuffed Peep is another way to engage kids and get them excited about the holiday.

Reese’s Easter: In Plain Sight

In response to Cadbury’s Egg Hunt, Reese’s debuted an “In Plain Sight” campaign, where their peanut butter-chocolate eggs are easy to find and easy to buy. With the slogan “Hunt’s over, you win. #NotSorry,” the campaign is a clear reaction and bold statement to competitors.

Reese’s, the peanut butter and chocolate candy, leverages Easter to promote their candy every year. From chocolate bunnies to peanut butter eggs, Reese’s never misses out.

Target: Easter For Everybunny

From egg-dying kits to stuffed bunnies, Target claims to be the one-stop shop for Easter. The retailer’s 2019 ad, with candy and Easter egg hunts, fruit salads and deviled eggs, caters to Gen Zers, Millennials and also Gen Xers (40 to 54-year-olds).

This bright and poppy ad offers everything Target thinks consumers need to celebrate the coming holiday.

Whether a brand is selling candy, stuffed animal Peeps or everything in-between, leveraging Easter can help market products to younger consumers.

Article written by: Victoria Pallien