Mother's Day by the Numbers

Poor Mom. It's not that we don't all love her, but with the bum economy, the houses we can't sell and fears of a Wall Street meltdown, we're just not looking to spend, you know, as much on her this year.

So while the $15.8 billion the National Retail Association says Americans will shell out for Mother's Day in 2008 sounds like a lot—and it is 38% more than in 2005—it's just about the same as what we spent last year.

"Consumers will be very cautious with their wallets this Mother's Day, heeding Mom's advice that she really doesn't need much," Phil Rist, spokesperson for BIGResearch, the group that collected the data for the NRF study, said in a press release. "Gas prices and other economic issues will still be at the forefront of people's minds as they shop around for the perfect gift for Mom."

The NRF predicts that of the 84.2% of consumers celebrating Mother's Day, the majority will invest in "one major gift for mom instead of several smaller gifts." The researchers expect $3 billion to get plunked down on restaurant tabs, $1.2 billion on electronics (including digital photo frames and cameras), $2 billion on flowers and $672 million on greeting cards.

A caveat—the polling data BIGResearch gathered for the survey was collected during the first week of April, from about 8,000 consumers who were asked what they expected to spend on Mother's Day. Since then, fuel prices have popped almost 30 cents, hitting $3.61 per gallon on average this week, compared with $3.32 a month ago, according to AAA. "This could cause a hit in the numbers," says NRF's Kathy Grannis.

Still, the holiday has a couple of trends on its side. Shoppers who spend the most on Mother's Day are among America's most free-spending—the 18- to 24-year-old set is expected to run up, on average, $170.71 for Mother's Day, compared with $153.17 for 25- to 34-year-olds and $145.86 for consumers between 35 and 44. The youngest group, Grannis says, not only has fewer personal bills but more "mothers" to shop for: grandmothers, sisters, spouses, daughters and in-laws, all of whom may deserve Mother's Day well-wishes.

Then there's the cultural reality that, regardless of the economic situation, people spend money on holidays even if it means cutting back elsewhere. Mother's Day is one of those times. It remains third on the list of holidays when consumers spend the most (behind Christmas and Valentine's Day).

And bling's still the thing. While NRF says sales of diamonds and other gifts that come in small boxes will account for 29.7% of Mother's Day sales, compared with last year's 32.8%, they expect overall jewelry sales to hit $2.7 billion, a surprising 29% increase from last year's total.

The dollar amount the NRF predicts will be spent on the holiday is about the same as last year, suggesting flat consumer activity due to the struggling economy. However, adds NRF spokesman Scott Krugman, "people are clearly planning to use their money in different ways, so gifts have a more meaningful impact when money is tight. Jewelry is such a personal gift, it just makes a lot of sense."

Also hot: pampering mom. Major cities now teem with spas and nail salons, creating a whole new way to celebrate Mother's Day. Expect $1.1 billion to be spent on "personal service" gifts like these.

"Gift certificates are always popular during holidays, and we have noticed that Mother’s Day is a time when they sell well" says Brook Temner of Bliss spas in New York City, adding that people tend to send Mom for a massage or facial. The anti-aging "Youth As We Know It" facial, a popular choice for Moms, is $185. Just don't tell her she needs it, and she'll be thrilled.