After a long hard winter, retailers are looking forward to spring. Warm weather, blossoming cherry trees, and blooming Easter sales. According to Prosper Insights & Analytics’ National Retail Federation’s Easter Spending Survey, average Easter spending will top $140.62, a bit ahead of last year’s $137.46, with a total spend on Easter at an eye-popping $16.4 billion. That’s a lot of Peeps. Not to mention decorations, gifts, flowers and Easter bonnets.

Why do retailers love Easter? It’s not just the chocolate bunnies. The seasonal sale drives traffic into stores, particularly those that are tuned into springtime merchandising. In addition to Easter themed aisles, NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay says, “As one of the busiest times of year for several retail sectors and as shelves begin filling with both traditional spring and holiday merchandise, retailers are looking forward to welcoming shoppers with attractive promotions on home goods, garden equipment, and traditional Easter items.”

While retailers should be excited about the Spring merchandise and promotions, don’t rush to clear the shelves just yet! According to DataRank, an online consumer data analytics firm, there is a general dissatisfaction with Walmart’s policy to remove their Valentine’s Day candy to make way for Easter product promotions, with negative sentiment at an overwhelming 68.4 %.

Fortunately for brands and merchandisers, that’s an easy problem to fix if you have the insight ahead of time. Instead of clearing out one promotion to make room for another, keep the most popular items on the shelves, mark them down with after season sales, and keep your customers happy with savings on items they love, which, according to DataRank, are candy, chocolate, and coupons!

How can retailers capitalize on the increase in spring spending while also keeping consumers happy with what’s on the shelves? That’s where Gigwalk comes in: our Gigwalkers provide accurate, timely information, so you can take action in real time. You can check on the products and places that matter most, see gaps and non-compliance, then close the loop with verifiable solutions. This Easter, Gigwalk can help brands and retailers optimize their Easter trade spend by ensuring execution in the retail aisle is absolutely flawless.