Moms want rest, dining out and classic gifts for Mother’s Day 2026
Moms still like cards and flowers, but 52% now want dinner out and 38% want to sleep in. Mother’s Day 2026 is looking less like a gift pile and more like a reset.
Mother's Day is still built on the classics, but the clearest signal for 2026 is that moms want a break as much as a present. In Drive Research’s survey of 1,086 U.S. adults, 52% of moms said they want to go out to eat, 44% want an experience, and 38% want to sleep in. That is a sharp shift from last year, when only 11% said they spent Mother’s Day doing an experience such as a spa day, movie or outing.
The spending picture is just as telling. The National Retail Federation expects U.S. consumers to spend a record $38 billion on Mother’s Day 2026, with average planned spending of $284.25 per person. The holiday still has broad reach, too: 84% of U.S. adults plan to celebrate, and shoppers are most often buying for their mother or stepmother, followed by a wife and then a daughter. Mother’s Day falls on Sunday, May 10, 2026, giving retailers and restaurants a date that remains one of the spring calendar’s biggest retail moments.
The old standbys are not going anywhere. NRF’s long-running survey work has tracked Mother’s Day behavior since 2003, and the usual purchases still dominate the aisle. Last year’s expected spending included $6.3 billion on special outings, $3.5 billion on gift cards, $3.2 billion on flowers and $1.1 billion on greeting cards. An Ipsos survey found a similar pattern on the wish list, with gift cards at 28% and flowers at 25%, followed by handmade gifts at 9%, candy at 8% and jewelry at 7%. Just 4% said they planned to give a spa day or peace and quiet, which makes the current appetite for rest and experiences feel less like a fad than a correction.
That is the practical takeaway for anyone shopping this year. A good Mother’s Day gift no longer has to choose between sentimental and useful. The strongest formula is still a classic one, a handwritten card, flowers or a gift card, but it works better when it is paired with time off, a dinner reservation or a plan she does not have to organize herself. In 2026, the best gifts for moms are the ones that look thoughtful in a photo and feel like relief when the day actually arrives.
Know something we missed? Have a correction or additional information?
Submit a Tip
