Flowers, Cards And A Great Meal Top Wish Lists This Mother’S Day, According To The Discover® Card Mother’S Day Shopping Survey

In the Spirit of “It’s The Thought That Counts,” More Than Half Of Recipients Would Keep Their Gifts Even If They Weren’t Happy With Them.

Riverwoods, IL, – Good news for recipients this Mother’s Day – the majority of gifts that top their wish list, such as flowers, cards and dinner at a restaurant, coincide with what most shoppers plan to purchase, according to the annual Discover® Card Mother’s Day Shopping Survey. The survey revealed a range of other Mother’s Day-related shopping trends and consumer spending projections.

“Discover Card’s Mother’s Day Shopping Survey again provides great insights for gift-givers and merchants alike,” said Margo Georgiadis, executive vice president and chief marketing officer of Discover Financial Services. “Our survey found that moms value hand-made presents and thoughtful gestures, but also enjoy receiving more traditional gifts. Most consumers will be shopping for gifts a week or more in advance of the day, and their purchasing will be influenced by sales and coupons.”

Men Spend More Than Women on Mother’s Day

While 52 percent of all respondents said they plan to purchase Mother’s Day gifts this year, significantly more men (59 percent) than women (46 percent) will do so. The Discover Card survey revealed additional trends on who’s spending what on whom:

• Of those who plan to purchase a Mother’s Day gift this year, the average amount men and women plan to spend on their mothers is $66.50, an increase of over seven percent from last year.

• Men plan to slightly outspend women on their mothers this year. Of those who plan to purchase a Mother’s Day gift this year, the average amount men will spend is $73.80 while the average amount women is $58.40.

• Of those men who plan to purchase a Mother’s Day gift for their wives this year, the average amount they will spend is $90.70 and only $50.10 for their mothers-in-law.

• The majority of respondents (71 percent) said that they tend to spend more on Mother’s Day than Father’s Day. Forty-eight percent of respondents said it was more challenging to shop for Mother’s Day gifts than it is for Father’s Day gifts while 37 percent said the opposite.

Of course, when asked how much would be an appropriate amount to spend on a Mother’s Day gift, half of the mothers surveyed (50 percent) said no money at all, citing that the best gift would be hand-made gift or a thoughtful gesture from the heart. Thirty-seven percent said less than $50.00 while 10 percent said $50.00 or more.

Most Popular Mother’s Day Gifts

According to the survey, many gift-givers are aligned with what recipients hope to receive on the special day. Among the top findings:

• At 76 percent, flowers or a greeting card are the most popular gifts that shoppers intend to give, followed by a special dinner out at a restaurant (44 percent) and jewelry (30 percent). Music/books/DVD’s or games almost tied with apparel at 27 percent and 26 percent respectively. Twenty-four percent planned on giving something home-made while 22 percent plan to take Mom to the spa.

• When we polled moms, 64 percent said that were most hoping to receive flowers or a greeting card. A special dinner at a restaurant and a home-made gift tied with 54 percent. A trip to a spa came in at 30 percent while Music/books/DVD’s or games almost tied with jewelry at 29 percent and 27 percent respectively.

• While 19 percent of Mother’s Day shoppers said they intend to purchase a gift card, twice as many moms (40 percent) indicated that they would like to receive one – 72 percent would prefer a general purpose gift card as opposed to a store specific one.

• When respondents were asked what features would influence them to purchase a gift card, 58 percent cited no expiration date or loss of value. Fifty-six percent said if the card was general purpose while 46 percent said being able to choose the denomination. Thirty-four percent cited Mother’s Day art while twenty-eight percent cited the ability to emboss the recipient’s name and add a message.

But shoppers shouldn’t worry if their Mother’s Day gift isn’t well-received, as 60 percent of moms surveyed wouldn’t exchange, return or re-gift a present if they were unhappy with it!

Brick-and-Mortar Stores Most Preferred Way To Shop; Majority of Shoppers Will Take Care of Gift A Week in Advance

The Discover Card Mother’s Day survey revealed insights for merchants that may help them better serve customers this Mother’s Day.

• Thirty-two percent of gift-givers said they will look for Mother’s Day gifts at the mall, another 25 percent cited a discount store (e.g. Wal-Mart) and 19 percent said they would visit a department store (e.g. Macy’s). About one-in-ten plan to shop online.

• When asked what would encourage them to spend more on Mother’s Day gifts, nearly half of those intending to shop (46 percent) cited special sales. Coupons or rebates from retailers or manufacturers came in second at 40 percent while 28 percent cited free online shipping.

• Eighty-percent of respondents said they will shop a week or more in advance for Mother’s Day. Eighteen percent indicated that they will wait until the day before or later to shop.