Mothers Day Spending Will Reach $32 Billion, Here’s What Moms Want

Mother’s Day spending is expected to total $31.7 billion this year, up 13% from 2021 according to the annual consumer survey released by the National Retail Federation (NRF) and Prosper Insights & Analytics. Approximately 84% of U.S. adults are expected to celebrate Mother’s Day. The average consumer spending is projected to be $245.76, a record for the holiday, up 11% from last year and up 25% compared to the pre-pandemic level of 2019. “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 Matthew Shay, president and CEO of NRF.

Mother’s Day is more than for mothers

Ulta Beauty
ULTA
merchandising and insights teams discussed how Mother’s Day increasingly celebrates all the important women in our lives and the company is seeing guests redefine what Mother’s Day inclusivity looks like to them. According to the company, many celebrate women who play a maternal or supporting role including sisters, aunts, cousins, Godmothers and even friends. “Connection with other women transcends demographics and has become a universal theme that translates into shopping and gifting,” said a spokesperson for Ulta Beauty.

Mother’s Day recipients looking for more gifts

Coming off of the pandemic, mothers and those celebrating Mom’s day this year are looking for more than physical gifts. In a recent survey by Klaviyo, a unified customer platform showed that experiences and gift certificates were top choices for gift-givers and gift seekers. According to the survey, 84% of respondents would prefer an experience this Mother’s Day instead of tangible gifts, and 1 out of 5 moms asked for gift certificates. Nearly 40% of moms say they are planning to get their own Mother’s Day Gift with clothing, jewelry, and beauty as the top items that moms are planning to buy themselves.

Gifts that keep giving

The NRF and Prosper Insights & Analytics survey found that 39% of consumers are interested in gifting product subscription services such as Birchbox or Stitch Fix. The topmost important factors when gift buying for Mother’s Day based on the consumer survey are finding a gift that is unique or different (46%) and finding a gift that creates a special memory (41%).

Experiential gifting in the beauty category

The Ulta Beauty merchandising and insights teams are seeing experiential spending grow; beauty lovers want to express themselves as they engage in such life moments and the company expects this trend to continue when it comes to gifting throughout the year. In listening to its customer base, Ulta Beauty is offering gift services at The Salon at Ulta Beauty as an opportunity to offer guests unique, personalized ways to celebrate mom.

Gift sets and individual fragrances remain key

According to Ulta Beauty, gift sets remain important but consumers are also spending on individual fragrances and more expensive items like skincare. Ulta Beauty is celebrating newness across categories just in time for Mother’s Day with a handful of new, exciting product offerings including Good Light, Madison Reed Color Therapy Hair Mask in Pura, Steffi Lynn x Ulta Beauty and Womaness.

Jewelry remains a top category

Jewelry purchases and special outings such as dinner or brunch are driving this year’s spending increases, marking a record in the survey’s history for average spending in both categories according to the NRF and Prosper Insights & Analytics survey. “Jewelry remains a timeless gift selection for Mother’s Day and continues to capture an increasing market share,” said Prosper Vice President of Strategy Phil Rist. “Forty-one percent of consumers are planning to gift jewelry this year, up from 34% in 2021. Total spending on jewelry is expected to reach $7.0 billion.”

Hybrid shopping for Moms’ Day

The NRF and Prosper Insights & Analytics survey showed that over one-third (36%) of those surveyed are planning to make their purchases for the holiday online. Another 30% of consumers are planning to shop at department stores, 27% at specialty stores and 23% at local small businesses.