UK retailers set for disappointing Easter as coronavirus looms large

Brits will spend £902 million on Easter this year, according to research by shopping comparison site finder.com that involved 2,000 people.

That’s a decrease of £198 million from last year’s £1.1 billion, with the average person in the UK intending to part with £27.66, a fall of £2.48 (8%) from £30.14 in 2019.

62% of Britain's population plan to splash out on gifts and chocolate over the Easter weekend, which is equivalent to 32.6 million Brits. However this is six million less than last year, as many families start to feel the financial pressures brought by the coronavirus.

On top of this, the number of people marking Easter without spending has risen - a further 5.7 million (11%) will do this, bringing the total of those celebrating to 38.3 million (73%). This trend is up by 22% since 2019, when only 9% of Brits celebrated Easter without spending a pound.

Georgia-Rose Johnson, shopping expert at finder.com, says: “The drop in those celebrating and spending money around Easter this year is likely to be caused by social distancing and lockdown measures put in place by the government to combat the coronavirus pandemic.”

However, Brits could also be growing wise to the high markups on Easter eggs, seasonal temptations and gifts, she adds.

“If you’re still planning on celebrating Easter from your home, shopping around online for the best deals, using discount codes and making your own treats are all great ways to save money, which is especially important during these times of financial hardship,” Johnson concludes.