Mother’s Day is Sunday, May 9, and spending is expected to reach $14.6 billion in the U.S. this year, making this the second biggest holiday spend behind the winter holidays , according to National Retail Federation and BIGresearch.
With the continued economic rebound, many consumers are expected to purchase gifts for mom, with the most popular being a meal at a restaurant, jewelry, flowers and seasonal apparel.
This year’s holiday weekend should be pleasant across a majority of the continent, according to the weather intelligence firm Planalytics. For the week leading up to Mother’s Day (May 2-9), expect near seasonal temperatures throughout much of the United States and Canada. After the dramatic volatility in temperature and precipitation over the past few weeks, consumers will enjoy typical spring conditions in most regions.
For the weekend of Mother’s Day (May 7-9), the Northeast will trend back toward normal after this weekend’s near-record highs, so expect spring sales to remain similar to last year but trend down from the prior weekend. New England and Eastern Canada could be slightly cooler than typical. There is a chance of showers and thunderstorms over the weekend in the Central Plains, Midwest and Ohio Valley, which may interrupt restaurant traffic, although readings should be seasonal to slightly warmer.
In the Southeast, expect warmer than typical temperatures; however, this will still be slightly cooler than last year’s warmth.
After the roller coaster conditions in the West Coast over the past few weeks, slightly cool to seasonal readings will help shoppers move toward spring purchases and increase traffic to shopping centers. However, the Southwest will remain cooler than a very warm week last year, making seasonal comps challenging.
The Pacific Northwest, Rockies, British Columbia, the Canadian Prairies, and Western Ontario will be cooler than normal. The Northern Rockies should also expect showers, which could cause a decrease in restaurant and shopper traffic.
Demand for live plants should see an 11% increase, according to Planalytics. (Estimated year-on-year variation in seasonal product demand attributable to the weather.)
For reference, last year Mother’s Day weekend temperatures were near normal throughout much of the United States, allowing for seasonal gifts such as live plants to sell well. The Pacific Northwest was hit with heavy rain during the week, and the Northeast experienced periods of rain, but temperatures there remained near typical. Canada reported cool but mainly dry conditions. With the near normal to slightly cooler temperatures across the continent, the weekend overall was the third coolest in over 10 years.