Australians are set to spend $995 million on Mother’s Day this year – up $70 million, or 7.5% from 2023, research from the Australian Retailers Association (ARA) in collaboration with Roy Morgan reveals.
Popular gifts for Mum this year include dining out, trips away and other personal experiences, alongside clothing, sleepwear, jewellery, chocolates, candles and fragrances.
However, flowers remain a mainstay Mother’s Day gift – with 41% of respondents intending to purchase them this year.
Despite the increased spend, 400,000 fewer people are set to buy Mother’s Day gifts in 2024 – highlighting the impact of the cost-of-living crunch.
The higher overall spend is attributable to a higher spend per person of $102 (up from $92 in 2023), reflecting inflationary driven price increases and indicating those who are less affected by cost-of-living pressures are spending more.
The most popular gift categories are tipped to be:
- Flowers: mentioned by 41% of respondents (up from 27% in 2023).
- Alcohol/food: mentioned by 17% of respondents (down from 29% in 2023).
- An experience (trip away, dinner out): mentioned by 16% of respondents (up from 5% in 2023).
- Clothing/shoes/sleepwear: mentioned by 10% of respondents (broadly the same as 2023).
Continuing the trend in recent years, about a fifth (19%) of people who purchase a present will be gifting to somebody other than their birth mother. This includes their partner, friend, mother-in-law, grandmother, sister and daughter.
Roughly one-fifth of Australians will celebrate the occasion with a meal at a café or restaurant, while 35% percent of Aussies will spoil mum with a feast at home.
ARA CEO Paul Zahra said we are in the last shopping week for Mother’s Day gifts, with florists set to be the biggest beneficiaries.
“With Mother’s Day this weekend, many Australians are planning to show appreciation for their mothers, despite ongoing financial pressures,” he said.
“Whilst the overall spend is higher this year, less Australians will be buying gifts – which shows how cost-of-living pressures are disproportionately affecting families.
“Mother’s Day is not only a celebration of mothers and their countless sacrifices but also an opportunity for many to express gratitude towards their partners, caregivers, and other family members.
The ARA-Roy Morgan Snap SMS survey was conducted on Wednesday April 3 – Friday April 5, 2024.
