According to an annual survey released today by the National Retail Federation (NRF), consumer spending is predicted to total $28.1 billion, with approximately 83 percent of US adults are expected to celebrate the annual holiday.
That number is up from last year, when spending totaled $26.7 billion. This year consumers plan to spend an average of $220.48 on Mother’s Day items, which is $16 more than they planned to spend last year and the highest in the NRF survey's history.
“There is a lot of consumer optimism around Mother’s Day this year as more people are getting vaccinated and stimulus checks are being distributed,” says Matthew Shay, NRF president and chief executive officer. “For many, this is a chance to make up for last year’s Mother’s Day when we were under lockdown. With safety guidelines at top of mind, consumers are planning to be with family, are making travel plans and organizing a special brunch or outing. All of these activities will be reflected through their purchasing decisions.”
“Even though consumers have indicated a growing comfort with pre-pandemic activities such as travel or dining out, there is still a lot of uncertainty,” says Phil Rist, vice president of strategy of Prosper Insights & Analytics, which conducted the consumer survey. “As we’ve seen with other holiday events, a large majority (82 percent) say that as a result of the pandemic, celebrating Mother's Day this year is important to them.”