Take a ‘peep’ at America’s top-selling Easter candies, 29 states agree on No. 1
Peeps took just 7% of the vote among Easter favorites
Here are your FOX Business Flash top headlines for April 8.
The most popular Easter weekend treat in America are Reese's Peanut Butter Eggs, according to a national survey.
The Reese's treat extended its longtime reign at the top of the Easter candy food chain with 51% of the vote in RetailMeNot's annual survey. The eggs beat out chocolate bunnies, Cadbury eggs, jellybeans and Peeps to secure the top spot.
Peeps took just 7% of the vote.
AMERICANS' FAVORITE EASTER CANDIES AND PASSOVER FOODS REVEALED: INSTACART SURVEY
Reese's Peanut Butter Eggs were the most popular Easter candy in America for yet another year, according to a new survey, while Peeps took just 7% of the vote. (Ben Hasty/MediaNews Group/Reading Eagle via Getty Images / Getty Images)
About 56% of Americans said they plan to go shopping for Easter weekend, and 76% of those said they were likely to buy candy. Easter spending in the U.S. was expected to reach $24 billion. (iStock / iStock)
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Easter weekend spending was predicted to reach $24 billion, though final numbers have yet to be released.
The National Retail Federation reported in late March that more than 80% of U.S. consumers say they will celebrate Easter, and consumers are expected to spend on average $192.01 each after factoring in purchases for items like new outfits, meals, candy, gifts and decorations.
The $24 billion mark would be a new high, up from $20.8 billion last year and the previous record of $21.7 billion set in 2020.
While high inflation is certainly a factor for the increased spending on Easter, trends indicate Americans are making tradeoffs to prioritize holiday celebrations even while their budgets are being squeezed.
Katherine Cullen, NRF's senior director of industry and consumer insights, said retail spending was strong throughout the pandemic with help from stimulus funding, but Americans were also investing more into holiday celebrations to make them more meaningful given the uncertainty and stress in their lives.
Some of the growth in Easter spending this year is being driven by higher food costs. (Eva Hambach/AFP via Getty Images / Getty Images)
Cullen told FOX Business some of the growth in Easter spending this year is being driven by higher food costs, but one hypothesis for the record spending for the holiday is that consumers' stress over COVID-19 has been replaced.
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"A lot of consumers are not as worried or as locked down," she said. "But we are still seeing – even with some of the economic uncertainty going on – people are still really valuing the celebration."
Fox News' Breck Dumas contributed to this report.