Mother’s Day is just two weeks away and across America consumers are searching for the perfect gift to show their appreciation for all the hard work mothers do. Last week, the National Retail Federation and Prospects Insights and Analytics released their annual consumer survey revealing that more than 84 percent of U.S. adults are expected to celebrate this year and consumers are expected to spend more than $33.5 billion this Mother’s Day, just shy of $35.7 billion spent in 2023.

“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. “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.” 

Mother’s Day is one of the most lucrative holidays in the U.S. with an average of $254.04 spent on Mother’s Day gifts and celebrations, per person. This figure is slightly behind last year’s record of $274.02 per person. Millennials are the biggest spenders on Mother's Day gifts, particularly between the ages of 35 and 45, with an average budget of $345.75. 

Most gifts this year will be purchases for mothers or stepmothers at 59 percent, with wives and daughters coming in second and third at 22 percent and 12 percent, respectively. The most popular gift for Mother’s Day remains flowers and cards at 74 percent each, followed by special outings and brunches at 59 percent. Jewelry continues to gain traction as a popular Mother’s Day gift, with sales expected to reach nearly $7 billion. It has quickly surpassed flowers and greeting cards as the top gift choice. 

Despite a heavy focus on spending top dollar, consumers say they still plan on taking a thoughtful approach to spending time with their mothers, with 48 percent saying they want to find an item that is unique or different and 43 percent reporting they want to create a special memory.   

“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,” Prosper executive vice president of Strategy Phil Rist said. “Consumers also plan to spend more on special outings than they have in the past.” 

Most consumers are looking online for the perfect gift, with 35 percent reporting they will be using e-commerce solutions; 32 percent will stick to department stores and 29 percent will do their shopping at specialty stores.