Clothing appears to be the gift-of-choice for Mother’s Day this year. Eighty-nine percent (89%) of consumers plan to celebrate Mother’s Day 2017 and clothing is this year’s big winner, according to the annual Brand Keys Mother’s Day survey. Celebrants intend to spend on average $220.00 this year, a 7 percent increase over 2016. Men, following a long-standing tradition, intend to spend more than women, reporting an anticipated average spend of $242. Women, an anticipated $198 spend.
Once again, tradition has trumped tech. Cards, meals, and flowers have become ‘price-of-entry’ for the holiday. But when it came to more substantial gifts, clothing showed the greatest change from last year – up 10 percent. Jewelry was up too, by seven percent. Spending on tech-related gifts was generally unchanged, with only 13 percent indicating that category of purchase.
More-and-more, Mother’s Day has encompassed a broader spectrum of relationships and has becomes a more universal celebration. The holiday celebrant-range includes virtually everyone: moms, wives, step-moms, female relatives and friends, divorced and single-parent households. It crosses cultural, ethnic, and religious boundaries, making it a real opportunity for retailers – an occasion nearly everyone celebrates.
Methodology
As part of Brand Keys’ annual Customer Loyalty Engagement Index, 6,205 men and women, ages 18-65 from the nine U.S. Census regions, were asked if – and how – they planned to celebrate Mother’s Day this year. Most consumers indicated multiple gift purchases. This is Mom we’re talking about, after all.
What Consumers Are Buying Mom
(Percentages in parentheses indicate changes from 2016 with a margin of error of + 2%).
2017 Percent Purchasing Change from 2016
Cards 95% ( — )
Brunch/Lunch/Dinner 90% (+2%)
Flowers 86% (+1%)
Clothing 89% (+9%)
Jewelry 61% (+7%)
Spa Services 52% ( — )
Gift Cards 55% ( +5%)
Books 21% (+2%)
Housewares/Gardening
Tools 20% (+4%)
Candy 12% ( — )
Electronics/ Smartphones 13% (- 2%)
Preferences for shopping venues reflect this year’s preference for more traditional gifts and remained generally unchanged from last year, although Department Stores, were down again, this year by four percent. Catalogues were down again this year by another four percent. Discount and Specialty Stores were at the top of consumers’ list of places to shop for Mom because consumers regard them as ideal venues for apparel and jewelry.
Where They Are Shopping
Discount Stores 55% ( — )
Specialty Stores 55% (+5%)
Department Stores 40% (- 4%)
Online Stores 30% ( —)
Catalog 2% (- 4%)
There’s a saying that goes, ‘a Mother always has to think twice; once for herself and once for her children.’ That said, this year most consumers don’t seem to be thinking twice about celebrating Mother’s Day.
Find out more about what makes customer loyalty happen and how Brand Keys metrics is able to predict future consumer behavior: brandkeys.com. Visit our YouTube channel to learn more about Brand Keys methodology, applications and case studies.
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