With SpongeBob SquarePants sprouting rabbit ears and Spider-Man caught up behind a wall of cellophane and golden ribbon, big changes are afoot in the Easter basket.
Prepackaged baskets brimming with Scooby-Doo and NASCAR toys are pushing aside bright-colored eggs, chocolate bunnies and marshmallow chicks as the commercialization of Christmas marches on to Easter.
NASCAR rather than bunnies, chicks and eggs is the theme of this Easter basket. Prepackaged baskets of brand-name merchandise cater to time-pressed parents.
(Julia Ewan -- The Washington Post)
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The handful of U.S. companies that assemble prepackaged holiday baskets have begun to quietly snap up licenses for well-known brands, splash the emblems on toys and accessories and wrap them up for Easter. The trend began in 2002 and has accelerated every year since.
One of the companies, Sherwood Brands Inc. of Rockville, is filling its baskets with Spider-Man CD cases, Spider-Man duffel bags, Spider-Man sunglasses and Spider-Man water toys. A few small packets of candy are tucked in, almost as an afterthought.
Debra Paulk, publisher of Gift Basket Review, said that just three months after Christmas, today's indulgent parent is ready to give another round of gifts for Easter.
Brett Glass, chief executive of Houston Harvest Gift Products LLC, said the toy-filled baskets offer an alternative to candy overload.
"We know kids are getting plenty of candy from Mom and the annual Easter egg hunt," he said. "We serve another need. We get the big wow factor. The kids open these baskets up and it's Christmas all over again."
The companies say they are targeting time-strapped consumers who would rather buy a SpongeBob SquarePants-themed Easter basket for $15 than refill the empty wicker baskets sitting in their basements. And they are appealing to the grandparent or aunt who wants to send something, just not more candy.
At the same time, they are trying to eke out a little extra profit in a hyper-competitive business. Candy distributors had an uneven year in 2004, partly because Valentine's Day fell on a Saturday and many people spent their chocolate money going out to dinner instead. That year, Sherwood reported its sales fell 7 percent.
But shoppers consistently pay more for well-known brands, distributors say, and Easter baskets filled with licensed products can fetch an average of $5 more than their traditional counterparts.
