NRF: Mother’s Day spending expected to hit new record
Americans aren’t holding back when it comes to celebrating Mother’s Day despite economic uncertainty.
Consumer spending on Mother’s Day is expected to reach a record $38 billion this year, according to the annual survey released by the National Retail Federation and Prosper Insights & Analytics. The amount tops last year’s total spending of $34.1 billion and exceeds the previous record of $35.7 billion set in 2023.
The leading shopping destinations for gifts this year include online (33%) and department stores (33%), followed by specialty stores (29%) and discount stores (26%).
Consistent with recent years, 84% of U.S. adults plan to celebrate Mother’s Day. On a per-person basis, consumers plan to spend a record average of $284.25 on gifts, up from $259.04 last year and the previous record of $274.02 in 2023.
Flowers remain the most popular gift category, with 75% of shoppers planning to purchase. Other top categories include greeting cards (74%), special outings such as dinner or brunch (63%), gift cards (55%) and clothing or clothing accessories (51%).
Jewelry leads Mother’s Day spending at $7.5 billion, followed by special outings ($6.4 billion) and electronics ($4.4 billion). Spending on flowers is projected to reach $3.2 billion, while greeting cards are expected to total $1.3 billion.
Flowers remain the most popular gift category, with 75% of shoppers planning to purchase. Other top categories include greeting cards (74%), special outings such as dinner or brunch (63%), gift cards (55%) and clothing or clothing accessories (51%).
“Consumers are budgeting more and planning on shopping more across all gift categories this Mother’s Day,” Prosper executive VP of strategy Phil Rist said. “Electronics, in particular, are a popular gift category this year, with expected spending surpassing $4 billion for the first time in the survey’s history.”
Gifts of experience also remain popular, with a record one-third of consumers planning to gift experiences such as a concert or sporting event. When purchasing gifts, 46% say finding something that is unique or different is most important, followed by creating a special memory (39%).
The survey of 7,877 U.S. adult consumers was conducted April 1-8 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 1.1 percentage points.
