CHICAGO—More than half of consumers (61%) do not expect COVID-19 to impact their celebrations, which is the highest number for any major holiday since the onset of the pandemic, according to a consumer sentiment survey by Numerator. However, consumers are worried about inflation and product shortage, with 75% of consumers reporting concern for each.

More than 4 in 5 consumers (84%) expect to celebrate Easter this year, with Boomers+ and Northeastern consumers even more likely to celebrate (88% and 90%, respectively). Among those who intend to celebrate, nearly 64% say they will gather with family and friends, a significant 22-point increase from the 42% who said the same in 2021.

While food and candy top the list of planned purchases, nearly the same number of consumers plan to buy alcohol (25%) as those who plan to buy toys or games (27%). More than two-thirds (68%) plan to buy Reese’s this year, followed by M&M’s (57%), Hershey’s (56%), Peeps (44%) and Cadbury (42%). More than half (55%) of seasonal candy shoppers plan to buy at least one brand of jelly beans.

Nearly 9 in 10 consumers (88%) say they will shop in-store for Easter 2022, and 32% expect to make at least one purchase online. With 61% of consumers planning to shop at big box retailers and 60% at grocery stores, these two channels are poised to capture the majority of Easter 2022 spend. Nearly a quarter (22%) of consumers plan to buy on Amazon.com, compared to Walmart.com (16%) and Target.com (12%).

Seventy-five percent of consumers expect inflation to impact their Easter shopping, with 18% expecting a significant impact. Among consumers who reported a worsening financial situation in 2022, 33% expect a significant inflation impact—15 points higher than the average Easter shopper. Seventy-five percent of consumers say they are expecting Easter product shortages, with 10% expecting the impact to be significant.

Nearly half of respondents say they will search for promotions and coupons—41% will reduce the number of items they purchase, 34% will switch to lower priced brands, 31% will shop earlier than usual to find better bargains, 30% will shop at multiple retailers to find the best deals, and 30% will research prices prior to shopping. Fewer than one in 10 (7%) say inflation will not affect their shopping.