Easter Ecommerce Roundup 2026

The first bank holidays of 2026 have been and gone, with the four-day weekend giving shoppers across the United Kingdom more time than usual to browse, compare, and purchase your products.  

So, before the hot cross buns disappear from supermarket shelves and eggs revert to coming from chickens rather than rabbits, join us as we look at what we learned over Easter weekend and what it means for retailers. 

Key takeaways

• Across Easter 2026, the Gifting, Health & Beauty, and Jewellery sectors saw the highest growth for ecommerce businesses. A sharp decline in Sports, Leisure, and Gardening sales was the result of poor weather across the country. 

• Retailers can maximise their performance over bank holiday weekends by using a feed management tool such as FeedManager to monitor their product feeds and use a CSS such as Productcaster to keep CPCs low and increase conversions during competitive periods of bidding.  

Easter weekend and ecommerce

Traditionally, Easter weekend is a temperamental but occasionally busy period for online retailers. One reason that Easter often falters for many retailers is that it isn’t a major gifting occasion. While chocolates and daffodils are popular presents for the period, it doesn’t often bring about the big-ticket buys of a Christmas or Valentine’s Day. Seasonal sales and themed promotion pushes can often help to engage customers during Easter but many retailers still struggle. 

However, as the sunshine often makes its debut appearance for the year, shoppers often prioritise experiences and activities over staying indoors. The warmer weather and extra free time can boost sales for certain categories with home improvement, gardening, and sports and leisure often seeing a jump in sales during this period. 

How did Easter impact online retailers this year?

The first week of April brought with it mixed results as shoppers navigated Easter weekend. The week as a whole was up +5% compared to the previous year however, this is inflated by the early bank holiday weekend compared to 2025.  

The biggest winners were the Gifting, Health & Beauty and Jewellery categories, three categories which have been riding high throughout 2026. These sectors also benefited from Mother’s Day shopping which carried on after the day itself had passed. 

The poor weather across the UK meant that Home & Garden only saw a small increase in sales whereas Sports & Leisure saw a sharp drop as many people opted to stay indoors with little sunshine to enjoy. These drops were seen the heaviest among Garden Furnishings and Gardening as many shoppers looked to postpone their outdoor activities to the sunnier May Bank Holidays. 

Easter Sunday and ecommerce

While Easter Sunday is seen as a significant day for people up and down the country, ecommerce and retail data has shown that conversion rates were down across most key categories compared to the average for March 2026. This suggests that Easter Sunday is a poor day for ecommerce, likely caused by a rise in high street footfall. With more free time, shoppers prioritise experiences and days-out over the convenience of online shopping.  

Volatile CPCs and the inability to be reactive with budgets over bank holiday means that some advertisers may avoid pushing their products on Easter Sunday. However, if you’re a retailer who can capitalise on rising categories, Easter may be the perfect opportunity to get ahead of the competition.  

What does this tell us about retail in 2026?

The performance data from Easter reflects the prevailing trends of 2026 as a whole; the market remains healthy overall but volatile at a category level. The rises in Gifting, Health & Beauty and Jewellery suggests that shoppers are still picking up big purchases, while smaller buys take a backseat. 

The rise in high-street and physical footfall over Easter weekend also reflects the multichannel approach that many retailers are taking in 2026. Having your stores, socials and online retail spaces all working in sync is vital for succeeding. This includes running campaigns and promotions across all platforms to capture leads wherever they’re looking.  

Customer retention and post-purchase campaigns are also proving vital for retailers in 2026. The sites who succeeded this Easter were those who were able to continue the momentum for Gifting and Jewellery categories from Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day. 

How can retailers win the next bank holiday?

Ecommerce sites don’t have long to learn from Easter weekend, as May Bank Holiday (4th May) is fast approaching. While this may be another slow weekend depending on the weather, there are a few top tips brands can take from Easter and incorporate into their next campaign. 

1. Automate your campaigns: Quick optimisations and adjustments aren’t easy when you have an extra day away from the desk. Google Ads tools such as Smart Bidding and Performance Max can help you make quick adjustments with AI support. 

1. Keep an eye on your CPCs: The fluctuating, unpredictable performance of a bank holiday means that costs can quickly rise and exceed your budget. By partnering with a CSS, you can keep your CPCs down to increase your ROI. 

1. Manage your feed: A burst of sun or a wet weekend can change how quickly your products sell out over a bank holiday. You can use a feed management tool like FeedManager to update your product details across all channels to increase conversions through a smooth customer journey.  

Interested in finding out more about making the most of the next bank holiday? Get in touch with the Productcaster team and discover how our suite of tools can help you maximise your performance throughout 2026 and beyond.

Source: IMRG