‘A powerful, sticky occasion’: Egg dyeing demand persists even as egg prices hit $6 a dozen
With prices of eggs at historic highs, Paas, the 144-year-old Easter egg-dyeing company, is leaning on old traditions and new sales channels to boost sales.
Joe Ens, president of Paas parent company Signature Brands, told Modern Retail that the company is seeing demand in traditional retail and grocery environments. But this year, it’s broadened its e-commerce strategy. It’s directly investing in and managing an Amazon channel for the first time after previously selling through resellers. It’s also amped up its search engine optimization and is using more organic social media, like showing how to use Paas to dye marshmallows and make chicks.
As of early April, sales at Paas were up compared to the same timeframe last year, and it plans to ship more than 10 million kits this year. That’s a testament, Ens said, to the continuous tradition of egg dyeing.
“We’re fortunate in that it is so ingrained into our cultural DNA that it would take quite a disruption to shake this out of our Americana,” he said. “And the current price of eggs is not that.”
Easter is still fueling spending for eggs, candy, decor and more, despite shaky consumer appetite. Overall March spending showed tepid growth, boosted by shoppers looking to “stock up” before any tariff-related price increases. But the National Retail Foundation estimates that Easter, falling late on April 20, is still expected to generate $23.6 billion in sales. That’s above last year’s $22.4 billion and approaching the record $24 billion spent in 2023. Candy, food and gifts are the top-spending categories.
As Paas’s experience indicates, nostalgia and tradition are fueling much of this spending. An NRF consumer survey of more than 7,900 people conducted from March 3 to March 5 found that 63% of customers say tradition is a primary motivator when shopping for Easter-related items. And 32% said they spend money on Easter because it is a fun social activity.
At Paas, Ens said tradition is a big reason consumers buy year after year. Around 94% of families this year plan to dye eggs, according to a Paas survey, though 78% intend to dye fewer eggs. “The interactivity that a child has with their parents in the act of decorating eggs is a really powerful, sticky occasion,” he said.
U.S. Department of Agriculture data shows that the average price for eggs is hovering around $6.23 per dozen — 60.4% higher than the same time last year. And they’re unlikely to go on sale just for the holiday, the USDA wrote.
“Retail grocers are largely opting out of running their usual annual holiday shell egg promotions this year as supplies have only recently recovered sufficiently to maintain a consistent offering,” the USDA wrote in its most recent egg briefing.
Mike Ford, CEO at precision marketing platform Skydeo, said brands may find that holiday spending tends to be fairly resilient during harder economic times. But there may be some shifts. “We’re seeing smaller baskets, more DIY activities and fewer splurges — but the celebration is still happening,” Ford said.
In turn, brands have to be responsive and strategic with their advertising, Ford said. That might mean doing more targeted marketing to tap into shoppers who are still willing to buy or have specific interests that relate to the holiday. At Skydeo, which uses precision marketing segments for brands that want to hyper-target customers on online platforms, some brands are using segments like “thrifty shoppers with young kids” and “DIY holiday planners,” Ford said.
Then, as far as content is concerned, Ford said brands can succeed by tapping into nostalgia and tradition. “Easter is still about tradition, joy, and kids,” he said. “If your campaign can tap into that without feeling tone-deaf, it’ll outperform.”
Ens from Paas said the company aims to make its advertising “front and center” where people are shopping. That’s part of why it has put a bigger focus on marketplaces and e-commerce, Ens said. “As old as we are, we’re infants as it relates to e-commerce,” he said. “So we’re just now starting to turn on the Amazon engine, and this category is ripe for e-commerce.”
Paas aims to maintain a big presence in in-store Easter displays. Beyond its classic coloring kits, such displays could include larger kits or variations like tie-dye or glitter.
Despite egg prices being high, Ens said Paas still benefits because egg dyeing is still a comparatively affordable activity; a Paas dye kit costs just $1.98 at Walmart. Some shoppers are also looking at dyeing activities that don’t involve real eggs; Walmart’s Easter selections, for instance, include fake eggs, and DIY crafters have shown alternatives like potatoes, pasta or coffee filters.
Ens also said that around two-thirds of people eat their dyed eggs as Paas is food-safe, easing concerns about buying something that goes to waste. And many shoppers will be adding eggs to their carts anyway, he said.
“This is probably one of the most affordable family traditions that the consumer has at their disposal,” Ens said.