After two years of little to no Easter celebrations due to the COVID-19 pandemic, local businesses say they have seen an increase in Easter sales this year.
According to the National Retail Federation (NFR), U.S. consumers are expected to spend around $170 dollars on Easter.
“People are ready to start celebrating Easter and get together as a family," said cake decorator at Arroyo Grande Bakery, Casey Davis.
This time around Easter is being celebrated on a large scale.
According to NRF, 80 percent of Americans will celebrate the holiday, with the biggest percentage of Easter spending going toward food, followed by gifts and clothing. Something businesses on the Central Coast are witnessing in person.
“Not much sleep and a whole lot of orders," said Davis.
Arroyo Grande Bakery says people this year are opting for larger cakes at their family gatherings.
“A lot more orders this year, a lot of people coming in, a lot walk-through traffic that didn’t know we were here. I think a lot of word of mouth has definitely helped," said Davis.
For Whiz Kids Toy Store, Easter comes as the second busiest holiday for them.
Two years ago Whiz Kids was only offering curbside and delivery options, due to the pandemic. Last year, they transitioned to limited hours and now things are all back to normal.
“People are really enjoying being in the store, being able to touch, and feel, and choose, and have us gift wrap. All those things that were hard to do the last two years," said the owner of Whiz Kids, Lesa Smith.
According to the National Retail Federation, U.S. consumers will collectively spend about 20.8 billion this holiday.
