NRF
Highlights Sacred and Secular Springtime Traditions
April 5,
2001 -- The spring season has always provided the backdrop for annual rites
and traditions, from celebrating the rebirth of fields and flowers to observing
important religious occasions. Today, consumers have more options than ever
for adding to the enjoyment of these traditions. Below are several springtime
facts and figures:
Food
& Candy - A Sweet Tradition Continues
Easter is expected
to generate $1.9 billion in candy sales this year, and is second only to candy
sales associated with the Christmas season.(1)
Distributors
and retailers predict that sales of Passover-designated kosher products will
increase 15 percent in 2001. Sales of kosher for Passover products reached
$5 billion in 1999.(2)
Jelly beans
first became part of Easter celebrations in the 1930's; over 15 billion jellybeans
were eaten during the Easter season last year.(1)
Marshmallow
Peeps and Bunnies have been the top-selling non-chocolate Easter candy brand
for the last decade.(3) This year, over 600 million Marshmallow Peeps and
Bunnies will be eaten in the U.S. alone -- yellow Peeps are the most popular,
followed by pink, lavender, blue and white.(3)
Bunnies
& Eggs - Symbols of Renewal, Fertility
The world's
largest chocolate Easter bunny entered the Guinness Book of World Records
in 2000 -- weighing in at 341 lbs., with a 2.5-foot head and 2.1-foot ears.(4)
During March
and April, 600 million eggs are sold in stores across the U.S.(5)
The first use
of colored eggs was to celebrate spring -- Persians dyed their eggs red for
this purpose in 3000 B.C., and ancient Egyptians, Greeks and Romans followed
suit.(6)
The roasted
egg is also part of the traditional Passover seder plate, being a symbol of
mourning as well as of spring -- the season in which Passover is always celebrated.
Easter egg
decorating was brought to the United States in the early 1700s by Germans
who settled in Pennsylvania.(6)
Flowers,
Greeting Cards and Decorations - Ways to Extend Springtime Wishes
The Easter/Passover
season accounts for 19 percent of all holiday- related flower purchases --
with over half of consumers choosing lilies.(7) Flowers are also a traditional
addition to the Passover seder table as a symbol of spring.
Easter is the
fourth most-popular occasion for sending greeting cards, behind Christmas,
Valentine's Day, and Mother's Day.(8)
Sales of Easter-related
seasonal decorations reached $620 million in 1999.(9)
Apparel
- Spring Fashion Forward
Sales at apparel
stores in Spring 2000 topped $35.4 billion.(10)
-- March = $11.84 billion
-- April = $11.74 billion
-- May = $11.80 billion
Early indicators
point to a springtime resurgence in feminine dressing, from lady-like dresses
and suits for work to flowing floral prints on the weekends. Color is expected
to make a comeback in men's and women's spring fashions. Stay tuned!
The National Retail
Federation (NRF) is the world's largest retail trade association with membership
that comprises all retail formats and channels of distribution including department,
specialty, discount, catalog, Internet and independent stores. NRF members represent
an industry that encompasses more than 1.4 million U.S. retail establishments,
employs more than 20 million people -- about 1 in 5 American workers -- and
registered 2000 sales of $3.2 trillion. NRF's international members operate
stores in more than 50 nations. In its role as the retail industry's umbrella
group, NRF also represents 32 national and 50 state associations in the U.S.
as well as 36 international associations representing retailers abroad. For
more information about NRF, visit the web site at http://www.nrf.com.
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