More Spent on Mom Than Dad
Survey indicates Mother's Day is the second largest holiday for
gift-giving
Research from Carlton Cards and the International Mass Retailers Association
(IMRA) reveals consumers spend more on Mother's Day than Father's Day.
The number 1 item purchased for mom? A card. Nearly 80 percent of us will
buy one this year.
Consumers also tend to buy fancier cards for mom than for dad. "Our
research shows most people don't want to economize on their mothers," says
Susy Miranda, Carlton Cards' manager of seasonal cards. "Although we do
offer
value cards priced 99 cents to $1.99, the more elaborate cards
consistently
outsell them every year."
Mother's Day is the second-largest holiday for gift-giving,
the
leading day of the year for long distance phone calls, the busiest day for
restaurant dining and the third largest greeting card holiday.
"Some of the disparity occurs because women tend to purchase not only for
their own mothers, but for all the mothers in their extended family," Miranda
explains. "This can include stepmothers, daughters, grandmothers,
mothers-in-law, godmothers, aunts and even their friends who are moms."
Some more Mother's Day facts and trends from Carlton Cards and IMRA research:
Number Of Cards Sent: According to Carlton Cards, an estimated 22 million
Mother's Day cards will be exchanged industry wide, making Mother's Day
the third largest seasonal greeting card occasion of the year. Carlton
Cards offers more than 1,500 Mother's Day designs.
Most popular Mother's Day purchases:
Total exceeds 100 percent due to multiple gifts purchased
Men Vs. Women: As might be expected, Mother's Day attracts
a larger
percentage of male purchasers than most other holiday occasions. About 20
percent of all Mother's Day cards will be purchased by men
versus 80 percent
by women. (This compares to ten percent men, 90 percent women for seasonal
occasions overall.)
When Are They Purchased?: Carlton Cards research indicates a fair
amount of planning goes into purchasing Mother's Day cards
for many people.
More than 50 percent of all card-buyers purchase them two weeks before
Mother's Day. About 30 percent procrastinate, waiting one week
or less before
Mother's Day to purchase their cards.
Changing Family Dynamics: Cards remain a central part of most family
Mother's Day celebrations, but Carlton Cards research shows the types of cards
being sent are changing. Because "family" can mean so many different
things today, there are cards appropriate for single and divorced moms,
stepmoms, foster mothers, caregivers, guardians and others who play "motherly
roles" in the lives of children. An estimated 40 percent of all Mother's
Day cards will be sent to someone other than one's own mother. First time
mothers receive the most cards of all.
Source: Carlton Cards
