THELASTMILE Logistics Outside the Box
Easter Sunday, April 9, 2023
With egg shortages easing and candy sales hopping, consumers are expected to shell out billions of dollars this Easter season. Easter Eggs-travaganza
80% Estimated share of Americans who celebrate Easter. In 2022, they spent an estimated $20.8 billion on Easter, according to the National Retail Federation (NRF). $170 Average amount spent per consumer on Easter-related items in 2022, according to an annual survey by the NRF and Prosper Insights & Analytics. $4 BILLION Candy sales for the 2021 Easter season. 2022 Easter confectionery sales top that by an estimated 5 to 7%, according to the National Confectioners Association (NCA). NO NEED TO CRY FOWL While the bird-flu outbreak culled the number of egg-laying hens, the supply of retail eggs is expected to meet Easter demand, says the American Egg Board (AEB), which advocates for U.S. egg farmers. There are typically about 320 million egg-laying hens in the United States, according to the AEB, and there are around 303 million as of press time, the USDA estimates. In short, that’s almost one bird for every American. And their numbers will get back on track. PUTTING EGGS (AND MUCH MORE) IN THE BASKET The type of candy placed in Easter baskets varies widely, according to the NCA. The top 4 favorite Easter basket items are: ● Chocolate eggs and bunnies (preferred by 44% of Americans surveyed) ● Jelly beans (20%) ● Candy-coated eggs (18%) ● Marshmallow candies (15%) GREATER THAN A HILL OF JELLY BEANS ● Starting in the 1930s, Easter became the most popular time for jelly bean consumption in the United States. ● U.S. candy makers produce an estimated 16 billion jelly beans for Easter. ● It takes at least 6 days and as long as 21 days to make one jelly bean. ● 25 Jelly Belly jelly beans weigh approximately 1 ounce. ● Strawberry, cherry, and grape are the most popular jelly bean flavors in the United States.
Sources: National Retail Federation, National Confectioners Association, Jelly Belly
56 Inbound Logistics • February 2023
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