NRF: Mother’s Day spending expected to reach $34.1 billion

Consumer spending on Mother’s Day is expected to reach $34.1 billion this year, according to the annual survey released 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,” said Katherine Cullen, NRF Vice President of Industry and Consumer Insights. “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,” said Phil Rist, executive vice president, Prosper Insights & Analytics. “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.