As everyone enjoys the early days of spring amid falling COVID-19 numbers, we wanted to learn how consumers are feeling about shopping for Mother’s Day (May 8) this year.
Last year global spending for Mother’s Day was expected to reach a record-breaking $28.1 billion. How are consumer spending habits unique to Mother’s Day compared to other seasonal holidays like Valentine’s Day or Christmas?
To find out, we surveyed more than 1,700 U.S. consumers in March of 2022 and put together a list of the most important Mother’s Day shopping statistics.
In our Mother’s Day Quick Poll, we asked consumers about their shopping plans and brand engagement habits to determine which tactics brands should use to boost Mother’s Day spending and create lasting relationships with their customers.
The following article is full of data and takeaways that your brand can apply before and after Mother’s Day.
1. Ninety percent of consumers will shop for Mother’s Day.
According to our Mother’s Day Quick poll, 90% of consumers will shop for Mother’s Day. This should be music to the ears of brands everywhere because it’s a great opportunity to get more people enrolled in your loyalty program.
And as the poll shows, most consumers plan to buy for Mother’s Day, either online or in-store.
2. Forty-one percent of consumers ages 18-60 agree that they would join or have joined a loyalty program to get perks for Mother’s Day shopping.
Our 2022 Customer Loyalty Data Study shows that less than one-third (32%) of loyal customers are members of loyalty programs. What can you do to take advantage of the Mother’s Day shopping rush to acquire more members for your loyalty program?
So, this is where you educate and make consumers aware of your loyalty program.
Consumers responded to the following statement in our quick poll: “I have joined or will join a loyalty program to get benefits (like discounts or free shipping) for Mother’s Day shopping.”
Leveraging Mother’s Day to attract and enroll more consumers in your loyalty program rests on your communications. If you can explain your loyalty program simply and offer some incentives to join connected to Mother’s Day, you’ll attract more loyal members.
What types of perks are consumers looking for this Mother’s Day?
3. Expedited or free shipping, product discounts, and better return policies are the top three most important loyalty program perks consumers are looking for this Mother’s Day.
When asked what types of loyalty program rewards are the most important to them this Mother’s Day, consumers ranked them in the following order:
- Expedited or free shipping (47%)
- Product discounts (41%)
- Better return policies (21%)
- Free samples with purchase (16%)
- Complimentary gift wrapping (15%)
It’s not surprising that loyalty program members want to see fast, free shipping, product discounts, and better return policies because they were the same three consumers sought in our 2022 Valentine’s Day Quick Poll.
If you attract new members to your loyalty program on Mother’s Day, it bodes well for your brand and your customers for the rest of the year.
4. Fifty-five percent of consumers would engage with a brand on social media in exchange for an incentive for Mother’s Day.
Beyond loyalty program benefits and Mother’s Day itself, social media is one of the best ways to engage with your customers in between purchases. This includes following a brand on its social pages and tagging friends in a brand’s posts.
Brands that encourage social media sharing create brand communities for their best and most loyal customers. But you must give them a reason to share and engage on your social media pages.
Starbucks has a long history of social media participation among its best customers. In 2014 and 2015 Starbucks introduced a holiday #redcupcontest on Instagram. Users shared and tagged photos of their red cups for chances to win one of five prizes and included the #redcupcontest hashtag.
Social media raises brand awareness and is a great place for your customers to talk about you. Social media goes a long way toward shaping your brand personality to the world.
User-generated content is a good example of motivating your customers to engage via social media and it’s a great way to learn more about them.
For example, in 2020 Hannaford ran a promotion for 2020 graduates for their resilience during the pandemic while creating a halo effect for the Hannaford brand.
Hannaford asked 2020 graduates to upload a 30-second video message of encouragement to their future selves for a chance to win the $10,000 grand prize or one of five $500 first prizes. Video submissions were featured on the website in a public gallery so everyone could share in the positivity.
5. Most consumers will share personal data such as name and email, but after that, it becomes more challenging.
Collecting multiple types of personal data is challenging for brands, but if you give consumers something of value in exchange for more personal data, you’ll build stronger two-way relationships.
When we asked consumers what types of data they’d be willing to share with a brand in exchange for an incentive for Mother’s Day, consumers ranked them in the following order:
- Email (52%)
- Name (42%)
- Birthday (26%)
- I’m not willing to share personal information with a brand this Mother’s Day in exchange for incentives (26%)
- Gender (24%)
- Phone number (23%)
- Race/ethnicity (17%)
- Marital status (16%)
- Buying preferences (11%)
- Social media handles (10%)
- Home address (10%)
- Income level (10%)
- Health data (5%)
- Browser history (3%)
You want to learn more about your customers and most are fine with giving basic personal information.
But to get deeper data from your customers, you should consider leveraging attractive promotions such as filling out fun personality profiles or a chance-to-win sweepstakes. And in exchange for giving more personal data, consumers can earn more points or something else of value.
Obtaining personal data beyond the basics requires you to think outside the box and what promotions or incentives can be offered to encourage customer engagement.
6. Eighty-four percent of consumers will do some or all their Mother’s Day shopping online.
While we found that most consumers will shop online this Mother’s day, there is still a significant percentage shopping in-store.
For brands, this means making sure you provide a consistent, seamless customer experience in-store and online.
Your store employees play a crucial part in the in-store and online experience. They represent your brand and need to be well versed in all product information and your loyalty program.
Also, customer service associates play a major role. Whether you run your loyalty program in-house or work with a loyalty partner behind the scenes, it doesn’t matter to your customers.
That’s why it’s important to minimize the customer experience gap by making sure everything to do with your loyalty program is consistent with the overall brand experience.
When asked “how do you plan to shop for Mother’s Day this year,” consumers ranked them in the following order:
- Mostly online with a few things picked up in-store (23%)
- Online only on a mobile app (21%)
- Mostly in-store with a few things picked up online (18%)
- Online only on a desktop website (17%)
- In-store only (16%)
- Buy online, pick up in-store (BOPIS) (6%)
7. Seventy-four percent of consumers aren’t planning on shopping for Mother’s Day until either April or May.
This stat indicates the importance of benefits like things like free and fast shipping, since most consumers will be shopping for Mother’s Day close to the holiday.
Especially with the percentage of online shoppers for Mother’s Day, brands should consider adding a premium tier to their existing loyalty programs where members can opt-in to pay a membership fee for perks like fast, free shipping.
This also is another way to entice consumers to join your loyalty program. Also, if you can incorporate product discounts, better return policies, and/or free samples with purchase into your loyalty program, the better off you’ll be from a customer engagement perspective.
When asked, “This year, Mother’s Day is May 8th. How early do you plan to shop?” consumers ranked them in the following order:
- I expect to shop in April (45%)
- I expect to shop the first week of May (29%)
- I expect to shop in March (15%)
- I completed my shopping before February (7%)
- I completed my shopping in February (6%)
8. According to consumers surveyed, the top three Mother’s Day gifts will be flowers/plants, greeting cards, and jewelry.
It’s always interesting for brands to get a sense of the main things consumers plan to buy for Mother’s Day. Armed with this knowledge, it’s also a great way to engage your customers.
You could use this opportunity to create incentives tied to these popular gift items. For example, you could offer an incentive where a customer could share a photo of any of these items and tag the brand.
In exchange, the customer could earn a chance to win a spa day.
By knowing the main items consumers will buy for Mother’s Day, be creative and offer incentives that are tied to these gifts that will boost engagement.
When asked, “What type of gift(s) do you anticipate purchasing for your primary recipient this Mother’s Day?” consumers ranked them in the following order:
- Flowers or plants (53%)
- Greeting cards (38%)
- Jewelry (28%)
- Clothing and accessories (23%)
- Experiences (a spa day; going out for a meal) (22%)
9. Seventy percent of consumers plan to spend less than $100 for Mother’s Day.
According to our research, there won’t be a lot of big-ticket items purchased on Mother’s Day, but most consumers will be shopping and there are great opportunities for brands.
This is a great time for your brand to showcase itself through the fundamentals that consumers love and appreciate. Ensure a memorable customer experience, get consumers involved and engaged with your loyalty program, and think about creative incentives tied to Mother’s Day.
It’s your chance to shine as a brand and show your existing and new customers how great you are. Differentiate your brand and elevate customer engagement through a great customer experience, your loyalty program, and attractive incentives.
When asked, “How much do you plan to spend on Mother’s Day gift(s), per recipient,” consumers ranked them in the following order:
- (Less than $50) 41%
- ($50-$100) 38%
- ($100-$150) 11%
- ($150-$200) 6%
- (More than $200) 3%
10. Who are consumers shopping for on Mother’s Day?
When asked, “Are you planning on purchasing gifts or experiences this Mother’s Day? If so, who do you plan on shopping for?” consumers ranked them in the following order:
- Mother: 68%
- Mother-in-law (28%)
- Sister (14%)
- Daughter (12%)
- Grandmother (11%)
- Aunt (8%)
- Stepmother (6%)
- Daughter-in-law (5%)
- Cousin (4%)
- Niece (4%)
- Granddaughter (2%)
Brands should remember that it’s not just mothers people are shopping for on Mother’s Day.
Engage Your Customers Because Everyone Will Be Shopping for Mother’s Day
Take advantage of a holiday like Mother’s Day to let your customers know you care about them. Get their attention through valuable offers and promotions tied to Mother’s Day and your loyalty program.
While experiences like a spa day are aspirational gifts, most consumers will be shopping for traditional gifts like cards, flowers, and jewelry. That’s where your brand can fulfill customers’ wishes through good pricing, great products, and stellar customer service.
Remember your loyalty program members who seek discounts, free and fast shipping, and better return policies. Mother’s Day is a great opportunity to offer incentives to get people to sign up for your loyalty program, obtain deeper customer data, and encourage them to share brand experiences on social media.
If you want to chat about anything from an end-to-end loyalty program, to simple promotions ahead of Mother’s Day, please reach out to us here at any time.
Survey Methodology: Clarus Commerce surveyed 1,768 U.S. consumers 18 and older in early March 2022.
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ebbo helps brands achieve their customer loyalty goals with full-service, end-to-end solutions and also creates original educational content straight from the experts to help loyalty marketers stay on the cutting edge of customer engagement.