Easter is hopping over the horizon, but it's more than just a religious holiday – it's become one of the biggest shopping seasons of the year.

"It's the fourth biggest consumer holiday in terms of retail spending," says Michelle Dalton Tyree of Fashion Trends Daily, "and it turns out that this year's Easter spending is on track to outpace Valentine's Day."

Shoppers are expected to buy up $18.4 billion worth of products this year, according to the National Retail Federation, with half of it spent on clothes, not candy or flowers.

"With the economy improving, people are in a shopping mode and retailers are in a discounting mode," says Tyree.

Local retailers like Polkadots and Moonbeams is seeing some of this "bunny" bump.

"Christmas is always a great time," says owner Wendy Freedman. "This spring, Easter comes very close to that."

Old-fashion trends are driving some of those sales, with a big trend towards feminine, vintage style dresses that are flowy and less overtly sexy.

Also, "sets" have come back into fashion. That's where a dress might be paired with a little jacket over it.

Of course, hats are also very big.

"People are really into hats!" says Freedman. "Did you know that years ago nobody wore a hat? Now everyone is wearing a hat to complete the outfit, from fascinators to a big straw hat."

But Easter shopping is for the whole family.

"A lot of families are buy new outfits for the entire family for Easter, similar to how they would for Christmas," says Tyree.