NEWS IN BRIEF Survey foresees rise in Easter spending

Easter spending is expected to reach $18.4 billion this year, according to a survey from the National Retail Federation.

The retail trade organization estimates that Americans celebrating Easter plan to spend 6 percent more than last year’s record of $17.3 billion. Average spending per person will be $152, which is an increase from $146 a year ago.

Consumers will spend the most on food ($5.8 billion), clothes ($3.3 billion), gifts ($2.9 billion) and candy ($2.6 billion) for Easter. Additional items include flowers ($1.2 billion), decorations ($1.1 billion) and greeting cards ($788 million).

The survey, which was conducted by Prosper Insights & Analytics, asked 7,411 consumers about their Easter plans and was conducted from March 1-9.