Making the most of Mother's Day

May 10^th is upon us once again – and it’s time to honour the mothers in our lives. Throughout literature, mothers symbolise nurturing, life and affection – and this is the day we collectively say thank you. It appears we all agree that it is an occasion worth celebrating as it is the 3^rd largest retail event of the year. Here at Bing, we have taken a quick look at a couple of the nuances about Mother’s Day – a day that is highly significant not only because it is the day to thank mum but because it is also one of the largest retail opportunities for advertisers.

Mum’s are #1 … and it’s not even close. We spend over twice as much** on our mums as we do our dads. And it’s not just the amount of money it’s the variety of gifts.  Mums enjoy a range of gift ideas that run the gamut from jewellery, spa days, perfume as well as home & garden gifts. By comparison, fathers receive gifts from a more limited variety, typically the tried & true socks, hankies, and sporting gifts variety.

Mother’s Day is not just for Mums anymore. Consumers use Mother’s Day as an occasion to say thank you to the women in their lives that have roles as mothers. In fact, more than 64% of consumers surveyed in a recent Mother’s Day research report**, were buying gifts for people other than their mother or stepmother. For example, 9% of consumers buying gifts are mothers celebrating the occasion when their own daughters reach motherhood.  In fact, it seems many consumers like to recognise the role of mothers whether they are sisters, wives, relatives.

This year, we will spend big on Mother’s Day just to recognise and say thank you to mothers – though a simple thank you or an afternoon together maybe what is really desired. Perhaps this is the Mother’s Day that you invest in an experiential and/or personalised gift for the mum in your life to deliver a thank you for all that she does.  Please download the Mother’s Day Presentation if you would like to know more.

 References

*’Mother’s Day spending to grow in 2014 as no expense spared’, IBISWorld Australia, Mr Dan Ruthven April 2014

** Source: Mother’s Day Overview, Retail Insights Center, April 2014