Drew Wilson
Consumers are expected to spend billions this weekend showering the mothers in their lives with gifts both sweet and sparkly according to a new survey from the National Retail Federation.
The retail trade group said 86 percent of Americans plan to do some shopping for Mother’s Day, whether in-store or online, with per person spending expected to hit $180. That comes out to $23.1 billion nationwide, a total only surpassed by 2017’s record-setting $23.6 billion total.
“Mothers play such a vital role in our society, and it’s wonderful to see that they’ll be receiving plenty of gifts this year as people feel more and more comfortable with their own finances,” said R. Scott Shalley, who heads the NRF-affiliated Florida Retail Federation. “A healthy economy with more Floridians employed should lead to increased spending and a great opportunity for retailers to take advantage of this by showcasing sales and discounts on the more popular items.”
Topping that list of popular items is a “hallmark” of proper gift-giving: Greeting cards. More than three-quarters of those surveyed said they’d pick one up and NRF estimates they’ll contribute $813 million toward the Mother’s Day total. Nearly 70 percent of saying they’d snag an always-welcome bouquet, which will lead to a $2.6 billion payday for florists.
Jewelry will make up the biggest slice of total spending at $4.6 billion, but not every mom can expect something precious, unless new pieces of fridge art count. About a third of shoppers plan to swing by the jeweler for their Mother’s Day gift. Additionally, more than half said they’ll spare mom from eating their own cooking by taking her out to eat, and they’ll spend $4.4 billion doing so.
Also on the list are gift cards at $2.5 billion, clothing and consumer electronic at $2.1 billion each and just shy of $1 billion on housewares or gardening tools.
About 30 percent of moms say they’d rather a gift they can experience than one they can hold, and a quarter of givers – most of them millennials – are taking the hint and purchasing spa days, concert tickets or gym memberships as their Mother’s Day centerpiece. That category will make up $1.8 billion in spending.
The survey, conducted April 4 through April 12 asked 7,520 consumers about their Mother’s Day plans. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 1.2 percentage points.
