Mother's Day spending predicted to reach record high in 2017

WASHINGTON – Consumers say they will spend more than ever on Mother’s Day this year as they shower moms with everything from flowers and jewelry to special outings at favorite restaurants, according to the National Retail Federation’s annual survey conducted by Prosper Insights & Analytics.

Mother’s Day shoppers are expected to spend an average of $186.39 for the holiday, up from last year’s $172.22. With 85 percent of consumers surveyed celebrating the holiday, total spending is expected to reach $23.6 billion. That’s the highest number in the survey’s 14-year history, topping last year’s previous record of $21.4 billion.

There is good news for independent garden center retailers: 68.5 percent of consumers plan to get flowers for mom, 45 percent say they will buy gift cards, and 19.5 percent say they will purchase housewares or gardening tools.

However, the overall increase is expected to be driven largely by spending on jewelry, which is up 19 percent, and personal services, up 15 percent.

According to the survey, consumers plan to spend $5 billion on jewelry (purchased by 36 percent of shoppers), $4.2 billion on special outings such as dinner or brunch (56 percent), $2.6 billion on flowers (69 percent), $2.5 billion on gift cards (45 percent), $2.1 billion on clothing (37 percent), $2 billion on consumer electronics (15 percent) and $1.9 billion on personal services such as a spa day (24 percent).

For more information, visit NRF's website.