Mother’s Day by numbers (infographic)

6 May 2016

Mother’s Day hits US shores this weekend and, to celebrate, how about we look through the numbers that contribute to a day of appreciation (It’s costly).

Mother’s Day is the third-biggest ‘retail holiday’ in the US, and it’s only getting bigger. What contributed a total $11.5bn in sales in 2005 almost doubled to $21.2bn last year, with the consistent spending growth only flagging in the recession-hit 2009-10 years.

It’s actually spreading out, too, with everyone from godmothers to daughters rewarded on a day fast looking ludicrous.

In the US, the average spend for a mother on Mother’s Day is a pretty remarkable $162.94, which, considering the general undulating income levels throughout the whole country seems excessive – by way of comparison, $113.80 is spent on fathers for Father’s Day.

Cards, the bastions of value, are the top draw, representing the most popular way people purchase gifts for their mothers – electronics represent just 14pc of gifts.

Online shoppers spend far more than in-store shoppers, with around one-third of gifts in the US for this weekend bought over the internet.

This infographic from The Shelf should explain more:

Mother’s Day

Gordon Hunt was a journalist with Silicon Republic

editorial@siliconrepublic.com