US consumers are expected to spend US$7.8 billion on jewellery to be given as gifts on Mother’s Day this year, revealed a National Retail Federation (NRF) and Prosper Insights & Analytics survey.

According to the study, consumers are planning to shell out a total of US$35.7 billion on Mother’s Day on May 14, up by nearly US$4 billion from last year’s record high of US$31.7 billion. The survey also said 84 per cent of US adults are expected to celebrate the holiday.

Among the top three gift categories by spend are jewellery, followed by special outings (US$5.6 billion) and electronics (US$4 billion). Meanwhile, the most popular gifts by per cent purchasing are flowers (74 per cent), greeting cards (74 per cent) and special outings such as dinner or brunch (60 per cent). 

“Expected spending is up across all gift categories, and gifts of jewellery, electronics and apparel are the primary drivers of growth this year,” noted NRF. “Not only are consumers planning to spend more on these gift categories, but more consumers are interested in gifting these items than ever before.”

Consumers plan to spend US$274.02 per person, the highest in the history of the survey and up from the previous record high of US$245.76 in 2022. The top spenders are those aged 35 to 44, who are expected to spend an average of US$382.26 on Mother’s Day.

NRF provides data on consumer behaviour and spending for key periods such as holidays throughout the year. This latest survey of 8,164 US adult consumers was conducted from April 3 to 11, 2023.