lace edge heart shaped brass stamping

Industry Statistics, Mom’s Value Increases Slightly, to Near $100

By Jeff Morris April ,2004

....or at least, that’s what the findings of the latest National Retail Federation (NRF) survey seem to suggest. According to the NRF 2004 Mother’s Day Consumer Intentions and Actions Survey, conducted by BIGresearch for NRF, consumers plan to spend an average of $98.64 on Mother’s Day this year, up slightly from an average of $97.37 last year. The survey also indicates that total spending for Mother’s Day will reach $10.43 billion.

The biggest expenditures will be among those who buy jewelry for mom, averaging $62.40, while consumers planning to take mom out for lunch have earmarked an average of $40.54 for that purpose, and those who will purchase clothing bring up the rear at $31.89 -- half the average amount that will be spent on jewelry.

Of course, Mother’s Day is not solely for one’s mother; "In addition to their own mother, many consumers are also buying gifts for their daughters, wives, and grandmothers," said Phil Rist, VP of Strategy for BIGresearch.

"When you’re honoring several mothers on one holiday, a $100 price tag is not hard to achieve." The survey shows 66.6% of consumers plan to purchase a Mother’s Day gift for their mother or stepmother; 7.1% plan to purchase for their grandmother; 6.4% will buy a gift for their daughter; and 5.6% will give a gift to a friend. In addition, 42.6% of men plan to purchase a Mother’s Day gift for their wife.

Flowers, cards, and food remain the most popular Mother’s Day gifts this year. More than half of consumers (59.6%) plan to purchase a Mother’s Day card while a third of consumers plan to buy flowers (35.5%) and take mom to a restaurant (33.1%).

Specialty stores (florists, jewelers, greeting card stores) should see a sales boost, with 32.7% of consumers planning to purchase Mother’s Day gifts from the specialty sector, and 14.6% plan to shop for their Mother’s Day gift online.

Other fascinating Mother’s Day facts:

-- Mother’s Day is the third most-popular holiday for sending greeting cards, behind Christmas and Valentine’s Day, according to the Greeting Card Association. According to the NRF survey, 59.6% of consumers will purchase at least one greeting card for Mother’s Day.

-- Mother’s Day ranks second only to Christmas in the purchase of flowers, according to the Society of American Florists. Of flowers purchased for Mother’s Day, 45.0% are cut flowers, 32.0% will be outdoor bedding and gardening plants, and 22.0% will be flowering and green houseplants. Consumers will spend $868 million on flowers this Mother’s Day, according to NRF.

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