The Easter season is the No. 3 retail season behind Christmas and Valentine's Day, and sales are expected to be up 11% to $14.3 billion this year, according to the National Retail Federation.
Hasbro is reprising a pitch to put games in Easter baskets after a promotion last year brought double-digit sales gains. TV ads for its "think outside the basket" promotion show a bunny trying to
fit a game board into an Easter basket. It's offering a $10 coupon (vs. $5 for last Easter). Mark Stark, Hasbro's marketing vice president, says the company talked to a lot of moms, and determined
they "want to fill up Easter baskets with more than candy."
Also, Hallmark is upping its ante for Easter sales with $4.99 musical cards. Paas -- the 125-year-old egg decorating company
-- is airing its first TV ads. And Washington Mutual thrift bank has pegged the launch of a new affinity credit card to the season with a 1% rebate on purchases going to a Catholic mission group, The
Society for the Propagation of the Faith.
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