Parents are succumbing to retail marketing efforts and peer pressure to give children toys and other gifts as well as the traditional candy and eggs, said James Lowry, marketing professor.

"Retailers are pushing things like DVDs, compact discs and video games to put in Easter baskets," Lowry said. "Some parents see that it has been a few months since Christmas and feel like they should give their kids something.

"Other parents get caught in peer pressure, trying to keep up with their friends," he said. "We are a much different society than 10 to 15 years ago because parents feel like their children deserve more. And, parents can afford it."

Lowry said Easter is the nation's fastest growing holiday because retailers need another major event during a long dry spell from Valentine's Day in mid-February to Memorial Day in late May.

Easter is expected to generate $1.82 billion in candy sales this year, and is second only to Halloween candy sales, the biggest candy-selling occasion, according to the National Retail Federation.

Easter decorations and seasonal items generated sales of $620 million in 1999, a 25 percent increase over 1998. Easter is the third largest seasonal decorations category, behind Christmas and Halloween.

"Easter will continue to grow over the next few years as retailers push it," Lowry said. "But, it will never become as big as Christmas. The whiskers on the Easter Bunny are much shorter than those on Santa Claus."

(NOTE TO EDITORS: For more information, contact Lowry at jlowry@bsu.eduor (765) 285-5192.)