The annual consumer survey from the National Retail Federation and Prosper Insights & Analytics indicated that Mother’s Day spending in 2022 will total $31.7 billion, up to $3.6 billion from record 2021 spending.
About 84% of adults in the United States plan to celebrate Mother’s Day, according to the survey.
Consumers intend to spend $25 more this year on Mother’s Day purchases to reach a record average of $245.76 this spring. Jewelry purchases and special outings such as dinner or brunch are driving 2022 spending increases. This year, 27% of Mother’s Day shoppers plan to give experiential gifts such as concert tickets, up from 23% last year and the highest proportion since NRF started tracking the category in 2016. Most consumers plan to spend at least $40 on a meal with their mom.
Greeting cards and flowers remain typical gift intentions with 75% of shoppers planning to purchase greeting cards and 72% planning to buy traditional Mother’s Day bouquets. Finding meaningful Mother’s Day gifts remains a top priority for shoppers with many consumers expressing concern about finding a gift that is unique or different, 46% of respondents, and finding a gift that creates a special memory, 41% of respondents.
Just over a third of Mother’s Day shoppers plan to purchase online. Another 30% are planning to shop at department stores, 27% at specialty stores and 23% at local small businesses. In a different approach, 39% of consumers expressed an interest in gifting product subscription services such as Birchbox or Stitch Fix, and so extending the gift-giving experience beyond Mother’s Day.
“Consumers are eager to find memorable ways to honor their mothers and other important women in their lives and are willing to spend a little extra on this sentimental holiday,” said NRF president and CEO Matthew Shay, in announcing the survey results.