Flowers are the second most popular gift shoppers plan to give for Mother’s Day, according to the National Retail Federation’s annual survey.
Sixty-eight percent of shoppers will purchase flowers this year, second only to greeting cards, respondents to NRF’s annual survey said. Spending for the holiday is predicted to be up $1.4 billion from 2020, totaling a record $28.1 billion, according to the survey.
Consumers are predicted to spend an average of $220.48 on Mother’s Day items, with roughly 83 percent of U.S. adults expected to celebrate the annual holiday. This amount is the highest predicted in the survey’s history, NRF said.
Millennials Buying More
Millennials, those ages 25-34, are playing a big part in the increase in Mother’s Day spending. According to NRF’s survey, millennials say they will spend more than $367 on average, or almost $100 more than 2020.
“These shoppers are also the most likely to be planning gifts of higher dollar items like jewelry or electronics. In addition to buying gifts for their own moms, these shoppers are more likely to be buying for spouses and other recipients like grandmothers or friends,” NRF said.
Florists Expect Increase in Sales
The results from the NRF survey track with what florists are predicting for the holiday. According to a survey from the Society of American Florists, nearly 73 percent of florists expect sales to go up this year.
Respondents note that they have been seeing steady increases this year, so they expect that trend to continue for the biggest floral holiday in the U.S. Demand for Easter was also up, which can be a predictor for other spring holiday sales.
COVID-19 Restrictions Waning
Given that Mother’s Day 2020 was at the height of the pandemic, many florists say they are confident things will be better this year. Many states are loosening COVID-19 restrictions and just yesterday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updated its guidelines for fully vaccinated people.
One SAF survey respondent said, “Our daily sales and holiday sales have grown significantly since the pandemic started and I expect this to continue at least for the next six months.” Another florist notes that while last year their shop had little competition given all the closures, since then, “we have really increased our customer base and I believe that will increase our Mother’s Day sales.”
Some Challenges Remain
Despite the positive trends, florists are still worried about two things: staffing and product supply. One survey respondent said, “I gave my wholesaler my Mother’s Day order three weeks ago, and he is telling me he is not sure we will be able to get all of the product we ordered. We hope to be flexible and make things work.”
Promoting “designer’s choice” arrangements and updating availability online and via social media will be key to a successful Mother’s Day. And as one optimistic florist said, it’s time to “capitalize on our talent and creativity as opposed to cookie cutter designing so that we can show that we still can create even in a shortage.”
Jennifer McNally is the interim editor of SAF NOW.