Mother's Day spending hits record $38 billion, flowers lead gift picks

Mother’s Day shoppers were set to spend a record $38 billion this year, but the money was not flowing where the gift tables might suggest. Flowers were the most popular choice, yet jewelry was the biggest dollar category, and special outings were the clearest sign that families were leaning toward memory-making over stuff.

The National Retail Federation and Prosper Insights & Analytics said 84% of U.S. adults planned to celebrate, with average spending reaching a record $284.25 per person. That was up from $259.04 last year and $274.02 in 2023, a jump that Mark Mathews, the NRF’s chief economist and executive director of research, said reflected shoppers who were prepared to “lean into the holiday despite current economic uncertainty.” Phil Rist, Prosper’s executive vice president of strategy, said consumers were budgeting more and shopping across more gift categories.

The split between what people bought and what they spent on says a lot about how to shop smarter. Flowers led all gift picks at 75%, followed closely by greeting cards at 74%, while 63% planned special outings such as dinner or brunch. Jewelry, though, led total spending at $7.5 billion, far ahead of special outings at $6.4 billion, electronics at $4.4 billion, flowers at $3.2 billion and greeting cards at $1.3 billion. If you want something that feels thoughtful without blowing the budget, flowers still do the job. They are the safest choice for the mother-in-law, the stepmother or the colleague’s mom you know well enough to celebrate but not well enough to overbuy for.

For a bigger-ticket gift, jewelry was the clearest splurge. It was also the category where consumers seemed most willing to spend for impact, especially with 45% planning to buy jewelry, and one-third of shoppers said they planned to give experiences such as a concert or sporting event. That makes jewelry the right move when the gift is meant to last, while an outing works best when the goal is time together. A brunch reservation, concert ticket or game-day plan can feel more personal than a box, especially for the 39% who said creating a special memory mattered most.

Shopping patterns also showed where the hunt was happening: online and department stores were tied at 33% each, followed by specialty stores at 29% and discount stores at 26%. Electronics crossed $4 billion for the first time in the survey’s history, a reminder that Mother’s Day is no longer just about sentimental staples. But the strongest through line was still simplicity: 46% said finding something unique or different mattered most, which is exactly why the best gifts this year were the ones that looked less like a last-minute errand and more like a plan.