Mother’s Day Spending to Exceed $23B

The National Retail Federation (NRF) released data late last month projecting Mother’s Day spending to reach a record $23.6 billion.

NRF partnered with Prosper Insights & Analytics to conduct its annual survey of Mother’s Day shoppers, discovering the 14-year record for projected sales. On average, shoppers are expected to each spend nearly $15 more on Mom than last year, for a total of more than $186.

“With spring in full bloom, many Americans are looking forward to splurging on their mothers this Mother’s Day,” says NRF president and CEO Matthew Shay. “Retailers will be ready with a wide range of gift options and a variety of promotions for their customers.”

While jewelry and personal services, such as a spa package, contribute to the overall increase, nearly 20 percent of survey respondents reported housewares or gardening tools as their gifts of choice, which is $1.2 billion of the total projected spending. Forty-five percent of survey respondents say gift cards are at the top of the list.

Thirty-one percent of Mother’s Day shoppers say they plan to shop at a specialty store and 24 percent report planning to spend their dollars at a local small business.

Be prepared to attract Mother’s Day shoppers to your store with shop local signage, which you can download here for free.