Was Easter 2026 less indulgent?

Caught between rising prices and an uncertain macroeconomic backdrop, shoppers approached Easter 2026 in a tentative frame of mind. This rather flat feeling seemed to be mirrored in-store. Retailers used tried and tested mechanics to encourage shoppers to spend more, with little innovation in how the event was activated, while some of the NPD seen was similar.

Given these factors, despite a likely increase in spending, driven by inflation rather than volume growth, for retailers and shoppers alike, was Easter 2026 less indulgent and exciting than previous years?

Shopper confidence was low…

With some Easter products seen in stores in January, shoppers’ relatively low confidence in the early part of the year would have left many feeling unable to spread the cost of the event over a longer period.

While our shopper confidence index stood at +1 in February, overall sentiment remained fragile. Financial confidence remained stable on the surface, but there was a divide between the highest and lowest earners, with really only households earning over £84,000 claiming they would spend on quality, versus the rest, who said they would look to save money.

…And it got worse in the build-up to Easter

This picture was worse in March, with the war in Iran impacting fragile shopper confidence. Shopper confidence dropped to -4, the lowest level we have seen since August 2023, when shoppers were coming out of the depths of the cost-of-living crisis, but still very much feeling its impact on their spending and outlook.

The share of shoppers expecting food prices to rise in the next 12 months rose to 80% in March, with this being felt most acutely by those on low to middle incomes, between £21,000 and £42,000. This expected increase in food prices will be exacerbated by the growing share of shoppers who expect to be worse off in the year ahead. This increased to 37% in March, from 25% in February, and was felt most acutely by low and middle-income groups.

Given the similar impacts from those felt as a result of the war in Ukraine being fresh in shoppers’ minds, their reaction to the war in Iran could be swift and impact spending. With energy and petrol prices rising, shoppers have learnt it’s only a matter of time before this leads to rising food prices.

Many shoppers have already reined in their spending over the past few years, so further rising costs will elicit a lot of the same behaviours seen over the last few years. For those who haven’t already cut back their spending as much as they can, buying on promotion, switching to discounters, and trading down to cheaper alternatives will become key next steps.

Shoppers expected to spend less this year anyway

Shoppers intended to cut back this year, even before they felt the impact of the war in Iran. Rising prices had forced shoppers to rethink how much they eat and what they can spend on gifts.

57% noticed a big increase in Easter egg prices in 2026 compared to last year, with 40% claiming they will eat and buy fewer eggs. For some, this restraint is being channelled into quality over quantity, with one in four saying they will buy fewer but more premium Easter treats this year. While this will support the value growth story, again, volume sales will have been impacted.

As well as affordability, health will be shaping this reset. Shoppers are moderating not just how much they eat but how they socialise, with one in four expecting to attend fewer gatherings this year. Alongside this, many are actively trying to make healthier choices, with a third saying they will eat more healthily this Easter.

For those on GLP‑1s, this tension is even more acute. Easter exposes the emotional and social role food still plays, even as appetite and enjoyment are suppressed. Some users are willing to step away from medication to fully participate (around 1 in 5 GLP‑1 users say they plan to reduce or stop taking it over Easter), underlining just how powerful seasonal rituals remain.

Easter treating isn’t going away, but it is being redefined. Whilst there is a say-do gap, especially when it comes to health, the desire for wellness is clearly there. The opportunity lies in ‘considered participation’: affordable, smaller, healthier or non‑food ways to celebrate that still feel special but without the chocolate overload.

Retailers went with what worked, but maybe not what could excite shoppers

In-store, Easter 2026 felt more understated than recent years. While the operating environment, which is likely to have encouraged retailers and suppliers to temper their investment in the event, will not have helped, activations created a less exciting in-store experience, which may not have helped drive an increase in spending.

Retailers have generally stuck with tried and tested formulas, rolling out what has worked well previously, rather than innovating specially for Easter.

There also seemed to be less activation in-store to excite shoppers and attract their attention, while NPD was similar across retailers, which meant there was little to help them stand out. For the rest of the year, and especially activations for seasonal or sporting events in the medium term, retailers could invest to make them more exciting, or just need to do something new, to bring some excitement back into stores.