Mother's Day shoppers are cross-channel, eying subscription boxes

Mother’s Day spending is expected to climb to a record of $35.7 billion in 2023, according to a new forecast.

U.S. consumer spending for the May 14 holiday is expected to be nearly $4 billion more than the record of $31.7 billion posted in 2022, the forecast from the National Retail Federation and Prosper Insights & Analytics states.

Here are a few more highlights from the survey of 8,164 U.S. adult consumers, which was conducted April 3-11:

In all, 84% of U.S. adults are expected to celebrate the holiday.

Per-person spending is expected to reach $274.02, which would also be a record.

The top age group is ages 35-44. They expect to spend an average of $382.26.

57% of those purchasing gifts will do so for a mother or stepmother, while 23% will do so for a wife and 12% for a daughter.

The continued emergence from pandemic habits is bringing about more cross-channel shopping for Mother’s Day. The survey found that 34% of consumers are planning to shop online, while the same share are planning to shop in department stores. More consumers are also showing an interest in subscription boxes, as 46% stated they were intrigued by this option, which is up from 39% in 2022.

“While most consumers shopped online last year for the perfect Mother’s Day gift, we are seeing just as many people turn to department stores as a shopping destination this year,” said Prosper EVP of Strategy Phil Rist, in a statement. “Gifts of experience continue to grow in popularity, with nearly one-third of those celebrating Mother’s Day planning to give a gift of experience.”

In popular categories, spending levels are projected to rise across the board, with jewelry, apparel and electronics driving growth. More people are interested in gifting these items than ever, according to the survey. Spending levels in top categories are expected to reach the following:

• Jewelry: $7.8 billion
• Outings such as brunch or dinner: $5.6 billion
• Electronics: $4 billion