How much are you spending on Easter?
Happy Easter Eve.
How much did you spend on Easter this year?
The National Retail Federation says we're expected to spend $23.6 billion nationwide.
The record was $24 billion in 2023.
'While there is undoubtedly some uncertainty in our current economic landscape, we are thankfully seeing strong indicators of a healthy retail environment,' Tod Griffin, president of the Kentucky Retail Federation, said in a news release.
The top categories for Easter shopping are candy, food, gifts, decorations and clothing.
• Oralis Radilla is adding a third Mexican restaurant to her holdings.
She owns Don Mario's downtown and Real Hacienda on south Frederica Street.
And now, Radilla is adding Don Mario's Windridge on the east side of town.
The new restaurant will be in the Windridge Country Club.
J's Good Grub, which has been at the country club for several months, will be at the Locker Room, 224 Carlton Drive, according to owner Jay Johnson's Facebook page.
• S&P Global Market Intelligence says more companies filed for bankruptcy protection in the first three months of this year than in the first quarter of any year since 2010.
The report said 190 companies filed for bankruptcy protection through March.
• Kentucky Realtors, the largest professional association of realtors in the state, says $1.06 billion of real estate was sold in Kentucky last month.
That's down 4.2% from a year ago, but up 21.7% from February.
The number of listings sold was down 7.6% from last year but up 22% from February.
The median price was $265,000 and the median days on the market was 25.
'Buyers and sellers are continuing to engage with confidence, and the linear price appreciation shows the value of homeownership in our communities,' Josh Summers, CEO of the organization, said in a news release.
• The Lane Report says Kentucky ranked 31st in the nation in new business applications last year.
It says the state had more than 54,000 applications in 2024.
• This isn't good news for older workers.
The Lane Report said Kentucky ranked 47th among the best states for senior workers.
That came from Seniorly.com, which based its rankings on age-related discrimination, labor force participation, income, remote work, income taxes and new business growth.
The report said a record 11.2 million Americans ages 65 and older are currently in the workforce.
And that's expected to climb to 14.8 million by 2033.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts a 79% increase in workers ages 75 and up and a 22.4% increase among those ages 65 to 74.
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