Consumer Behavior

Mother’s Day spend to hit $33.5B

Photo: Adobe Stock

May 6, 2024

Consumers are projected to spend $33.5 billion this Mother's Day, the second highest in history, according to a survey from the National Retail Federation and Prosper Insights & Analytics.

Last year's Mother's Day spending hit a record $35.7 billion, according to a NRF press release.

"Mother's Day is a time to celebrate the women who play a meaningful role in our lives," NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay said in the release. "Retailers know the significant importance of this day and are ready to help their customers with a wide selection of meaningful gifts for loved ones to show their appreciation."

Eighty-four percent of U.S. adults are expected to celebrate the holiday. On average, those celebrating plan to spend $254.04 on Mother's Day gifts and celebrations, the second highest per-person figure, following last year's record $274.02 per person. The biggest spenders are expected to be those between the ages of 35 and 44, who are budgeting $345.75 on average for the holiday.

Consumers will spend a total of $7 billion on jewelry, $5.9 billion on special outings and $3.5 billion on electronics.

"Even though consumers continue to gravitate toward classic Mother's Day gifts like flowers and greeting cards, almost one-third plan to give a gift of experience this year," Phil Rist, EVP of strategy at Prosper, said in the release. "Consumers also plan to spend more on special outings than they have in the past."

This year, online (35%) remains the most popular shopping destination, followed by department stores (32%), specialty stores (29%) and local or small businesses (25%).

The survey polled 8,213 U.S. adults.