Mar 18, 2008 6:01 AM, PROMO Xtra

Consumers are expected to spend $14.4 billion this year on food, apparel, gifts, flowers, decorations and candy to celebrate Easter, a recent survey said.

The average person will spend $135.03 on Easter, close to last year’s levels at $135.07, the National Retail Federation’s 2008 Easter Consumer Intentions and Actions Survey found. This year, the holiday falls on March 23, the earliest it’s been since 1913.

“Easter is typically seen as the official kick-off to spring, when retailers debut new clothes and consumers are in the mood to buy for warmer weather,” said NRF President and CEO Tracy Mullin said in a statement. “Although this is one of the earliest Easter holidays on record, retailers are hoping that this year will be no different.”

Some 79% of people will buy marshmallow-shaped chicks, Easter baskets, plastic bunnies, hats and chocolate-covered eggs, the survey, conducted by BIGresearch said. Those who celebrate the holiday will spend an average of $41.09 on Easter meals. Consumers will also drop about $23.82 for apparel, $21.42 for gifts, $18.12 on candy, $9.11 on flowers and $7.21 on decorations, the study found.

Discount stores are expected to see the most holiday traffic this year (58.8%), followed by department stores at 35.6%, specialty stores at 23.6% and specialty clothing stores at 7.6%.

BIGresearch polled 7,796 people for the survey from March 4-11.

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