Easter traditions crack because of high egg prices
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Illustration: Annelise Capossela/Axios
Easter eggflation is striking for the third straight year with prices elevated by the ongoing bird flu outbreak.
Why it matters: The sticker shock is leading some consumers to break traditions, like dyeing eggs, and driving them to swap ingredients in holiday meals.
- 49% of consumers say egg prices are changing how they celebrate the holiday, according to a Ziff Davis shopping seasonal survey of 1,144 consumers.
The big picture: The average wholesale price of a dozen eggs was $3.13 Friday, up 2% from $3.08 on April 11, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture data.
- This is down more than $5 a dozen from the Feb. 21 national wholesale average of $8.15.
- Retail prices, which typically trail wholesale, are beginning to drift downward but bigger declines are expected after the holiday.
- The USDA report said demand for shell eggs improved ahead of Easter Sunday but was "driven more by holiday family traditions than price."
Zoom in: Easter is traditionally the second-hottest demand period of the year for eggs, and only trails the busy winter holidays, Brian Moscogiuri, a global trade strategist at Eggs Unlimited, previously told Axios.
- Eggs are a big part of Easter traditions and the Jewish holiday of Passover.
- Agricultural Secretary Brooke Rollins warned on March 11 that the Easter season has "the highest price for eggs" and prices could "inch back up."
- This year major retailers opted out of running their annual holiday egg promotions because supplies only recently recovered, the USDA report said.
Egg hunts switch to alternatives like "potato eggs"
The intrigue: Record-high egg prices in 2023 sprouted the idea of a budget-friendly Easter alternative: painting potatoes instead of eggs.
- Potatoes USA, the national marketing and promotion board representing U.S. growers and importers, has been looking to scramble the holiday traditions and has a has a how-to guide on painting the spuds.
- "Kids of all ages love that potatoes offer an easy, fun, and affordable way to get creative," said Kayla Vogel, a senior global marketing manager at Potatoes USA, noting decorating potatoes for Easter "just made sense.
Zoom out: Potatoes that are decorated with safe-for-consumption materials "can be enjoyed as a delicious treat once the artwork is complete," Potatoes USA said.
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