Easter 'Retail Blackout:' Where It's Happening
To be open or not to be open: That is the question for many grocers when it comes to the holidays.
For the next holiday on the calendar, Easter Sunday on April 20, some major U.S. food retailers have chosen to close their doors so store employees have an opportunity to spend time with family and friends.
Progressive Grocer has confirmed Easter shopping blackouts at several food retailers.
Consistent with years past, mass merchant Target's stores will be closed on Easter Sunday. The retailer's stores will observe regular store hours on April 19, and shoppers can check Target.com or the Target app for local store information.
National grocer ALDI's stores will be closed on April 20. Specific holiday hours for each local store can be found by using the store locator at stores.aldi.us.
National club retailer Sam’s Club will close all of its 600 locations on Easter Sunday.
Down south, Publix supermarkets will be closed on April 20, with normal operating hours on Saturday, April 19.
Texas-based H-E-B will also keep its doors closed on Easter Sunday.
Additionally, Costco Wholesale is reportedly closing most, if not all, of its stores for a full day in observance of Easter.
Meanwhile, as budget-conscious consumers ponder what to serve for the springtime holiday, many food retailers are touting Easter meal deals. For example, Target is offering an Easter meal complete with a 6-pound ham and national-brand and Good & Gather staples. The meal serves six for under $5 per person. Meanwhile, competitor Walmart's Easter meal also allows shoppers to feed a table of eight for less than $6 per person.
Overall, consumers plan to spend a total of $23.6 billion in preparation for Easter this year, according to the annual survey released by the Washington D.C.-based National Retail Federation and Prosper Insights & Analytics. The amount is above last year’s $22.4 billion, and approaching the record $24 billion spent in 2023.
The survey found that the most popular Easter purchasing categories include candy (92%), food (89%), gifts (65%), decorations (51%) and clothing (49%). Overall, shoppers expect to spend a total of $7.4 billion on food, $3.8 billion on gifts, $3.5 billion on clothing, $3.3 billion on candy, $1.9 billion on flowers and $1.7 billion on decorations.
According to pricing expert Matt Pavich, of Alpharetta, Ga.-based Revionics, “Having the right pricing and promotions on the items consumers care most about will make all the difference this Easter season.”
Minneapolis-based Target Corp. is No. 7 on The PG 100, Progressive Grocer’s 2024 list of the top food and consumables retailers in North America. Batavia, Ill.-based ALDI U.S. is No. 28 on The PG 100. Sam’s Club, a division of Bentonville, Ark.-based Walmart Inc., is No. 8, while Walmart U.S. is No. 1. Lakeland, Fla.-based Publix is No. 12. San Antonio-based H-E-B is No. 15, and Issaqua, Wash.-based Costco is No. 3 on The PG 100.
