Mother’s Day Spending Expected to Reach $34.1B

Consumer spending on Mother’s Day is expected to reach $34.1 billion this year, according to the annual survey released today by the National Retail Federation (NRF) and Prosper Insights & Analytics. The amount is up from last year’s $33.5 billion and follows closely behind the record of $35.7 billion in 2023. Eighty-four percent of U.S. adults are expected to celebrate the holiday. On average, those celebrating plan to spend $259.04 on Mother’s Day gifts and celebrations, about $5 more than they budgeted in 2024. Those purchases will be taking place online (36 percent), department stores (32 percent), specialty stores (29 percent), and local or small businesses (25 percent).

Total Retail's Take: Economic challenges won't damper the special day for moms, at least if the forecast data from the NRF survey holds true. Consumers are showing a resiliency to the economic pressures that are resulting from tariffs, inflation, and geo-political issues. However, the concern is whether these are short-term gains ahead of a prolonged down period.

“Mother's Day is an important holiday for many consumers, only surpassed by the winter holidays in terms of average spending,” NRF Vice President of Industry and Consumer Insights Katherine Cullen said in a press release announcing the survey findings. “Even in the face of economic uncertainty, consumers continue to celebrate the special women in their lives with gifts and outings.”