“Even in the face of economic uncertainty, consumers continue to celebrate the special women in their lives with gifts and outings.”
WASHINGTON – Consumer spending on Mother’s Day is expected to reach $34.1 billion this year, according to the annual survey released today by the National Retail Federation and Prosper Insights & Analytics. The amount is up from last year’s $33.5 billion and follows closely behind the record of $35.7 billion in 2023.
“Mother's Day is an important holiday for many consumers, only surpassed by the winter holidays in terms of average spending,” NRF Vice President of Industry and Consumer Insights Katherine Cullen said. “Even in the face of economic uncertainty, consumers continue to celebrate the special women in their lives with gifts and outings.”
As with previous years, 84% of U.S. adults are expected to celebrate the holiday. On average, those celebrating plan to spend $259.04 on Mother’s Day gifts and celebrations, about $5 more than they budgeted in 2024.
Most of those celebrating the holiday (57%) are shopping specifically for a mother or stepmother, followed by a wife (23%) or daughter (12%).
The most popular gift categories remain flowers (74%), greeting cards (73%) and special outings such as dinner or brunch (61%).
Consumers will spend a total of $6.8 billion on jewelry, $6.3 billion on special outings and $3.5 billion on gift cards. Total spending on flowers is expected to reach $3.2 billion, while total spending on greeting cards is expected to reach $1.1 billion.
Consumers are also continuing to prioritize thoughtful gifts this holiday. Nearly half of consumers (48%) say finding a gift that’s unique or different is most important to them, followed by 42% who say finding a gift that creates a special memory. Gifts of experience continue to be popular post-pandemic — 36% of men plan to gift experiences this year, up from 29% in 2019.
“Alongside traditional gifts like flowers or a card, gifts of experience are a way to create a special memory with mom,” Prosper Executive Vice President of Strategy Phil Rist said. “Whether it’s tickets to a concert or movie, a wine tasting or simply a scenic hike and picnic, there are options to fit any budget.”
Online (36%) remains the top shopping destination this year, 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 7,948 U.S. adult consumers was conducted March 31-April 7 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. https://prosperinsights.com/