WASHINGTON – Mother’s Day spending is expected to reach $33.5 billion this year, according to the annual consumer survey released today by the National Retail Federation and Prosper Insights & Analytics. The figure is the second highest in the history of the survey, following last year’s record $35.7 billion.
Mother’s Day is a time to celebrate the women who play a meaningful role in our lives.
“Mother’s Day is a time to celebrate the women who play a meaningful role in our lives,” NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay said. “Retailers know the significant importance of this day and are ready to help their customers with a wide selection of meaningful gifts for loved ones to show their appreciation.”
Eighty-four percent of U.S. adults are expected to celebrate the holiday. On average, those celebrating plan to spend $254.04 on Mother’s Day gifts and celebrations, the second highest per-person figure, following last year’s record $274.02 per person. The biggest spenders are expected to be those between the ages of 35 and 44, who are budgeting $345.75 on average for the holiday.
Most (59%) of those celebrating the holiday are shopping specifically for a mother or stepmother, followed by a wife (22%) or daughter (12%).
As with previous years, the most popular gifts to give are flowers (74%), greeting cards (74%) and special outings such as dinner or brunch (59%).
Consumers will spend a total of $7 billion on jewelry, $5.9 billion on special outings and $3.5 billion on electronics. Additionally, total spending on flowers is expected to reach $3.2 billion, while total spending on greeting cards is expected to reach $1.1 billion this year.
Gifts that are thoughtful in nature remain a priority for Mother’s Day shoppers. More say they will focus on finding items that are unique or different (48%) or create a special memory (43%) than in years past.
“Even though consumers continue to gravitate toward classic Mother’s Day gifts like flowers and greeting cards, almost one-third plan to give a gift of experience this year,” Prosper Executive Vice President of Strategy Phil Rist said. “Consumers also plan to spend more on special outings than they have in the past.”
This year, online (35%) remains the most popular shopping destination, followed by department stores (32%), specialty stores (29%) and local or small businesses (25%).
As the leading authority and voice for the retail industry, NRF provides data on consumer behavior and spending for key periods such as holidays throughout the year.
The survey of 8,213 U.S. adult consumers was conducted April 1-8 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 1.1 percentage points.
About NRF
The National Retail Federation passionately advocates for the people, brands, policies and ideas that help retail succeed. From its headquarters in Washington, D.C., NRF empowers the industry that powers the economy. Retail is the nation’s largest private-sector employer, contributing $5.3 trillion to annual GDP and supporting more than one in four U.S. jobs — 55 million working Americans. For over a century, NRF has been a voice for every retailer and every retail job, educating, inspiring and communicating the powerful impact retail has on local communities and global economies. nrf.com
About Prosper Insights & Analytics
Prosper Insights & Analytics is a global leader in consumer intent data serving the financial services, marketing technology, and retail industries. We provide global authoritative market information on U.S. and China consumers via curated insights and analytics. By integrating a variety of data including economic, behavioral and attitudinal data, Prosper helps companies accurately predict consumers’ future behavior to help identify market behaviors, optimize marketing efforts, and improve the effectiveness of demand generation campaigns. www.ProsperInsights.com