Easter Bunny Entices Shoppers; Will They Spend?
Easter holiday expected to bring success for retail outlets across the U.S.
April 2, 2010— -- Easter Bunnies across America are once again united in silence. Prohibited from talking to children, or the press for that matter, the fuzzy figures can only wave while getting their pictures taken with your kids on their laps. But, if the bunnies aren't talking, the large crowds waiting to see them in malls are speaking volumes.
Retail analysts are predicting rising sales this Easter season despite some recent sluggish years.
"Generally speaking we have seen a broad-based pickup in retail spending that started in September, October and there's no question as we got into the holiday season we saw that the consumer was spending again," says retail analyst Lori Wachs.
"They were on the sidelines for over a year and now they're back buying things like clothing and much more discretionary items which would go hand and hand with buying Easter pictures and visiting malls," Wachs said.
The Mall of America in Bloomington, Minn., shares the same optimism. They predict this year's Easter Bunny festival will be at least the equal of last years' surprisingly successful run.
"It's been a tight time economically, but 2009, was very strong for the Easter Bunny. We had more than 5,000 family visitors in a three week period and photo sales increased 37 percent from 2008 to 2009," says mall spokesperson Dan Jasper.
Easter Bunny photographers are also optimistic.
"Whether the economy goes up or down, people are going to get that picture of their child with Santa or the Easter Bunny every year," says Mark Allen, president of Instant Photo Corporation of America, that partners with malls to run holiday promotions. "They may not buy as many pictures or as many frames, but it's something you can count on."
Darla Schaffer, the mall's director of retail operations who oversees the Easter display, agrees traffic is up, but notes one obstacle to sales: advanced technology.
"Part of our biggest competition now is technology. People have cell phones that take great pictures, iPods, so the biggest competitor is the guests themselves," adds Schaffer. "They have the technology to take a good picture; printed pictures don't necessarily bring an advantage."
