As sales continue to strengthen despite challenging conditions including another Covid variant, floods and rising inflation, retailers remain positive about the upcoming Easter trading period.
In a boon for tourism operators and retail businesses, over four million Australians are planning a trip away this Easter with $7.1 billion to be spent on holidays, while around $1.5 billion will be splurged on food and chocolate, according to Roy Morgan research in collaboration with Australian Retailers Association (ARA).
ARA CEO Paul Zahra says Easter is a time for family get togethers, travel and special treats like easter eggs and hot cross buns, which will be in hot demand this year.
“Australians have had their travel restricted through the pandemic, but with the borders opened and safety protocols relaxed, people will be taking advantage of the Easter long weekend, getting away and spending $7.1 billion on their trips,” he says.
“This is a significant boost for tourism operators and local businesses who’ve been doing it tough these past two years.”
People will also indulge in the traditional easter foods and specialist items like easter eggs and hot cross buns, spending around $1.5 billion—with 78 per cent of Australians set to spend the same or more than they did on these items compared to last year.
“This is the first holiday period in two years that many people will take full advantage of the time off and get away with family and friends, which is great to see. Travel plans were discarded in 2020 and 2021 due to the various snap lockdowns, and last Christmas was disrupted by Omicron. With minimal Covid restrictions in place and Australia’s high vaccination rate providing safety and confidence, people are now starting to go back to more regular holiday and social activities.
“We also anticipate that DIYs around the home and garden will be popular this Easter long weekend —it’s the last break many people will have before winter sets in. People who aren’t going away traditionally use this time to upgrade things around the house that they’ve been putting off for months due to their busy work schedules.”
