Mother’s Day is an important date for families and businesses. Retailers and restaurants see considerable upticks in sales each year on this special day. Mother’s Day offers retailers and small businesses an opportunity to connect with their customer base and help families celebrate Mom.
This year, the same majority of the population plans to celebrate Mother’s Day. However, total spending and average spend per person is slightly lower than last year’s numbers. Greeting cards, flowers, and jewelry remain popular gifts. However, more and more people are giving mom experiences and special outings such as brunch and dinner.
Understanding trends and the latest sales forecasts can help you better prepare and plan to meet your customers’ needs.
Here are the top 16 Mother’s Day spending statistics to know in 2024.
Mother’s Day Spending Overview
Key Statistics:
- 84% of people will celebrate Mother’s Day in 2024.
- Americans will spend $33.5 billion on Mother’s Day gifts and experiences.
- The average shopper will spend $254.04 on Mother’s Day.
- While total spending for most gift categories is down year-over-year, spending on special outings like brunch is up.
- Greetings cards (74%), flowers (74%), and special outings (59%) will be the most popular Mother’s Day gifts in 2024.
1. 84% of people in the US celebrate Mother’s Day
For the third year in a row, 84% of people plan to celebrate Mother’s Day. While most folks buying gifts are specifically shopping for mom or stepmom, 22% are shopping for their wives, while 12% are shopping for their daughters.
2. Consumers will spend an average of $254.04
According to the National Retail Federation, in 2024, US consumers will spend an average of $254.04 for Mother’s Day. This total includes gifts, cards, flowers, and dining. However, this number is actually a decrease from last year’s record average of $274.02.
3. US shoppers will spend $33.5 billion for Mother’s Day in 2024
(Source: National Retail Federation)
Though spending was down from last year’s $35.7 billion, this year will still be the second-highest Mother’s Day on record in terms of total spending.
4. Consumers between the ages of 35 and 44 will be the biggest spenders
Shoppers in this age group plan to spend $345.75, almost $100 more than this year’s average. This age group is also one of the highest-earning demographics.
Learn more about the demographics that make up this age group:
5. 25% of shoppers plan to buy from small or local businesses
While online shopping remains the most popular option for Mother’s Day (35%), shoppers also plan to purchase from small businesses and specialty retailers.
Here’s a breakdown of where people plan to make their Mother’s Day purchases in 2024:
- Online: 35%
- Department store: 32%
- Specialty store: 29%
- Small or local business: 25%
- Discount store: 23%
- Specialty clothing store: 12%
Mother’s Day Gift Statistics
Spending on Mother’s Day has increased dramatically over the years. While it will reach $33.5 billion this year, it didn’t reach $20 billion until 2013. The amount spent on gifts has also changed a lot over the years. However, the gifts themselves have remained fairly consistent.
Greeting cards, flowers, special outings, and gift cards have remained the most popular gifts. And, jewelry and special outings are the categories where shoppers spend the most.
6. Greeting cards and flowers are the most popular Mother’s Day purchase for 2024
Same as last year, 74% of Mother’s Day shoppers plan to purchase greeting cards and flowers. While greeting cards have seen a slow decline in popularity (87% purchased Mother’s Day cards in 2007), flowers have gained popularity over the years.
Here are all of the most popular gift categories for Mother’s Day 2024:
- Greeting cards: 74%
- Flowers: 74%
- Special outing: 59%
- Gift cards: 51%
- Clothing/accessories: 43%
- Jewelry 40%
- Personal services: 32%
- Other 27%
- Housewares and gardening: 27%
- Books/CDs: 24%
- Electronics: 21%
7. 40% of people plan on purchasing jewelry for Mother’s Day
Jewelry is a Mother’s Day gift staple. However, fewer people will buy jewelry for mom this year than last year. While 40% of shoppers plan to buy jewelry in 2024, 44% of consumers purchased jewelry in 2023.
Note that overall jewelry sales for Mother’s Day are still higher than they have been historically. In 2021, 34% purchased Mother’s Day jewelry, which was the norm. It wasn’t until 2022 that jewelry sales increased to around 40%.
8. Total jewelry spending for Mother’s Day will reach $7 billion
Even if it is not the most popular category in terms of the number of shoppers, jewelry is the biggest product category for Mother’s Day in total spending. This year, jewelry sales for Mother’s Day will reach $7 billion, just under last year’s record high of $7.8 billion.
9. Shoppers will spend $5.9 billion on special outings for Mom
Special outings are one of the few gift categories that will see an increase in total spending from last year. In 2023, consumers spent $5.6 billion on special outings like brunch and dinner for Mother’s Day. This year, consumers will spend $5.9 billion.
Special outings have been the second-highest spending category behind jewelry since 2014.
10. 43% of shoppers will focus on finding a gift that creates a special memory
This year, even more than in previous years, shoppers are looking for something thoughtful. Forty-eight percent of shoppers are looking for a gift that is unique or different. Meanwhile, 43% of Mother’s Day shoppers say they focus on finding a gift to create a special memory.
Mother’s Day Flower Statistics
It’s impossible to discuss Mother’s Day statistics without mentioning flowers. Mother’s Day is big business for florists, flower shops, and garden centers. In fact, it’s one of their busiest days of the year—which makes sense, as flowers are tied with greeting cards as the most popular Mother’s Day gift.
11. Mother’s Day is the third most lucrative day of the year for florists
Valentine’s Day is the first, with Christmas and Hanukkah the second. While many different bouquets, cut flowers, and even potted plants are popular, traditional Mother’s Day flowers include carnations, roses, and tulips.
12. Americans will spend $3.2 billion on flowers for Mother’s Day
While year-over-year spending has decreased for most Mother’s Day gift categories, spending on flowers remains steady over last year, with consumers spending $3.2 billion on flowers this Mother’s Day.
$3.2 billion is the highest total on record, with floral spending steadily increasing from a low of $1.9 billion each year in 2009, 2010, and 2011.
Mother’s Day Dining Statistics
Like flowers, we can’t forget restaurants and dining out when talking about Mother’s Day statistics. Restaurants and going out for a family meal are a tradition at the heart of Mother’s Day.
13. Mother’s Day is the most popular day of the year for dining out
Mother’s Day is the day of the year when the largest number of people dine out at a restaurant. Mother’s Day is also a popular day for takeout and off-premise dining, with 13% of Mother’s Day restaurant patrons opting for takeout options.
What’s more, 3% of adults visit a restaurant and order takeout on Mother’s Day, indicating that they use restaurants for more than one meal that day.
14. 59% of consumers are planning a special outing like brunch or dinner
The amount of money people spend on outings like dining at restaurants on Mother’s Day has increased each year since 2009, with the exception of the pandemic in 2020 and 2021.
15. Restaurant wine sales are 15% higher on Mother’s Day than on typical Sundays
Brunch and dinner are the most popular restaurant meals on Mother’s Day, and for many, this includes a glass—or shared bottle—of wine. However, note that overall alcohol consumption at restaurants is 12% lower on Mother’s Day than on typical Sundays.
16. Brunch tickets were 32% higher on Mother’s Day compared to other Sundays
Of all the restaurant transactions on Mother’s Day in 2023, 45% happened during brunch. And, those brunch tickets were 32% higher than a typical Sunday.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Here are some of the most commonly asked questions and statistics that small businesses should know about Mother’s Day spending:
In 2024, Mother’s Day spending will reach $33.5 billion, second to last year’s record of $35.7 billion, according to the National Retail Federation (NRF). The average person will spend $254.04 on Mother’s Day shopping and gifts this year.
Greeting cards and flowers are the most-purchased items for Mother’s Day. Jewelry has the highest total spending, according to the National Retail Federation.
In 2023, consumers spent $35.7 billion on Mother’s Day and $22.9 billion on Father’s Day, according to the National Retail Federation. Traditionally, shoppers spend more on Mother’s Day than Father’s Day. The average person spent $274.02 on Mother’s Day and $196.23 on Father’s Day.
Bottom Line
In addition to being an opportunity to celebrate all of the mothers in our lives, Mother’s Day is also an occasion for retailers to connect with customers through thoughtful gifts, flower arrangements, and experiences.
When planning your Mother’s Day marketing strategy, consider not just the gift recipient but also the gift-giver and how you can appeal to their needs. See our tips on creating gift guides and product bundles to help your shoppers find the gifts they need.
