Spending eggsplosion: Brits are set to shell out £2.39bn this Easter
26th March 2026
Brits are expected to spend £2.39bn on chocolate eggs, cards, meals and gifts this Easter - that's a 4% rise on 2025, says the home delivery expert Parcelhero. However, while it's a great idea to send gifts such as craft kits and bunny toys to loved ones, think twice about sending fragile chocolate eggs.
This Easter is likely to be an eggcellent event for retailers, says the home delivery expert Parcelhero. Its latest research reveals UK shoppers are likely to spend £2.39bn on chocolate eggs, meals out, Easter cards and toys such as cuddly chicks and rabbits.
Parcelhero says £2.39bn is a 4% increase on last year’s Easter spending. That’s good news for High Street and e-commerce stores, even though it’s actually a 4 percentage point decrease on last year’s rise of 8%. That’s largely because of increasing caution among consumers created by the Iran conflict.
‘A slight decline in the rate of growth of Easter spending is still not likely to dent the season too much for retailers or shoppers,’ says Parcelhero’s Head of Consumer Research, David Jinks M.I.L.T. ‘The indications are that this Easter will still put a spring in retailers’ steps.
‘This year, Brits are likely to spend more than £400m on Easter eggs alone. It’s estimated that between 80 and 90 million Easter eggs are sold in the UK each year, with children receiving an average of eight eggs. That’s despite the average price of a supermarket egg having risen by roughly £7 this year.
‘Of course, it’s not only kids who love receiving eggs. There is a growing trend towards luxury eggs for adults, with 46% of gift shoppers planning to "shell" out around £30 for premium eggs from the likes of Hotel Chocolat.
‘Brits will also spend £415m on food and drink for the Easter weekend. That’s not the only way we all plan to splash the cash this year. Of those people who plan to take part in Easter events:
72% will buy Easter gifts
35% will splurge on special meals
20% will spend on days out or travel
‘However, Brits are spending less this year on Easter cards. Just 10% of people celebrating Easter plan to send a card this year, according to our research - that’s down a whopping 12% from last year.
‘Retailers and couriers will be busy as people send Easter gifts to loved ones they can’t spend the bank holiday with. Popular items being shipped this year include:
Easter craft kits
Home decorations
Baking kits
At-home Easter egg hunt materials
Garden goods and decor
DIY materials for Easter bank holiday
Easter toys such as chicks and bunnies
‘Last year, the total expenditure on Easter was estimated to be £2.3bn, according to the retail intelligence experts GlobalData, while spending on Easter products grew 8% YOY according to market research specialists Mintel. Our analysis is that a more modest 4% increase in spending is likely this year, leading to a £92m spending increase over 2025.
‘For anyone planning to send a parcel this year, remember Easter Sunday falls on 5 April, 15 days earlier than last year. Plan ahead when sending your parcel so you don’t get caught out by the earlier date.
‘While it's great to send gifts, we recommend people think twice before shipping a fragile egg. Chocolate eggs are less robustly packaged than in previous years because of the crackdown on unnecessary plastics used in packaging. That’s great for the environment but not so great for chocolate lovers. Parcels are subject to the pressures of being transported in vans and trucks between sorting centres and they are transferred by conveyor belts. If you’re sending chocolate eggs overseas, they will also need to withstand being transferred into the bellyhold of aircraft and being handled and inspected by Customs. An item as fragile as a thin shell of chocolate is unlikely to survive these experiences intact!
‘Eggs aside, there’s still time to send a gift overseas in good time for 5 April. For full information on sending gifts overseas, see Parcelhero’s international shipping page at: https://www.parcelhero.com/en-gb/international-courier-services