May 3, 2012
Skip the Flowers. Mom Really Wants an iPad
While iPads and smartphones were the rage during holiday time, mom shouldn’t expect one for Mother’s Day. According to the survey from PriceGrabber, only 13 percent of consumers plan to buy a tech-type gift for Mother’s Day this year, with most sticking to traditional offerings.
According to a survey of 4,296 U.S. consumers, 43 percent listed flowers as the type of gifts they plan to purchase for Mother’s Day. Second was gift cards (22 percent), then apparel and accessories (17 percent), and then jewelry (15 percent). Another 15 percent were looking at an experiential gift such as going to dinner, a vacation or a show.
The low likelihood of a tech purchase was highlighted as an irony of sorts in a few tech blogs. According to the PriceGrabber survey, of those expecting to buy mom a high-tech gift, 51 percent planned to buy a tablet, followed by smartphone (22 percent), and a computer and an e-reader, both at 15 percent.
Part of the problem is that sixty-two percent of respondents planned to spend less than $100 when shopping for Mother’s Day gifts. Twenty percent planned to spend between $100 and $249 on gifts, and eight percent more than $250. Ten percent had no budget.
National Retail Federation’s survey of 8,724 consumers with the help of BIGinsight found that Mother’s Day spending would rise to $18.6 billion in 2012, with the average person expected to spend $152.52 on gifts this year, up from $140.73 last year. The survey likewise found that the most popular buys were likely to be flowers, listed by 66.4 percent of respondents, with clothing and accessories at 32.8 percent. Only 12.7 percent said they would buy electronics.
With the question apparently framed differently, 54.3 percent of all celebrants said they would treat mom to a nice dinner or brunch, with gift card purchases and personal services, such as a trip to a day spa, coming in lower in the responses, according to the NRF survey.
An article in Adweek noted that the American publlc is starting to expand its horizons on what’s appropriate for Mother’s Day gifts with a "growing preference for gifts that are participatory, handmade or perhaps even geared toward social change."
Cloud 9 Living is advertising bull-riding lessons, a "Cardio Strip Tease Dance Package," and a chance to take mom on a ride in a fighter jet. Said Cloud 9 Living’s VP Bobby Augst, "Mom doesn’t remember the flowers you gave her a few years back but she’ll never forget this."
- Sixty-two Percent of Consumers Will Find the Perfect Mother’s Day Gift for Less Than $100 This Year, According to PriceGrabber Survey – PriceGrabber/PRNewswire/MarketWatch
- Gas Prices No Match When It Comes To Mom – National Retail Federation
- This Year, Give Mom a Dogfight Forget the flowers — innovative brands are putting an experiential spin on Mother’s Day – Adweek
- Consumers Make Up For Lost Time This Father’s Day As Spending Jumps – National Retail Federation
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Discussion Questions
Discussion Questions: Should retailers be more adventurous in their merchandising offerings and promotions targeted for Mother’s Day? Why have traditional gifts such as flowers and clothing continued to dominate Mother’s Day retailing?
Poll
Mother’s Day is still a holiday with a gift-giving budget ceiling, especially since the recession. Most tech gifts simply don’t fit into these price constraints, especially when you add in the cost of flowers or brunch. And, frankly, there is more personal sentiment required for a Mother’s Day gift — putting jewelry, apparel or other personal gifts at the top of the list. Rather than being overly adventurous, it may make more sense for department stores and apparel retailers to focus on what they do best.
Well, this is a hoot. Yesterday, on the way to get my wife a certificate for a pedicure for Mother’s Day, I passed a jewelry store and almost bought her more bling. Over the years, that’s always been nice, but somehow seemed boring this year, at least to me. Approaching the place for the pedicures, I suddenly decided to price out an iPad for her. It hurt, but I got her one. And I couldn’t contain myself (as usual) so she opened it last night. Guys out there, it was more of a home run than any bling or a dozen pedicures. This impulse purchase happened out of thin air; but I was very open to ideas, and I bet if the computer store advertised iPads for Mother’s Day, they’d sell a lot more. Just sayin’….
The traditional gifts have dominated for several reasons. While if might sound trite part of the reason is that they are the traditional gift. It is what people have grown up with and there is a long history of doing “X” in the family. Second they general are a “reasonable” price point. Mother’s day spending is not likely to match that for a birthday or Christmas — especially in an economy that is still wobbly. This doesn’t mean traditions cannot be challenged or changed, but I don’t expect to see a new tradition of Mom getting a new iPad every year.
Traditional gifts dominate because it is EASY and nostalgic. Retailers are missing a huge opportunity; based on my kitchen research, I see plenty of moms at kids’ sporting events with iPads. The iPad is just as much a fashion accessory these days as a Coach handbag!
Come on retailers (and men), step up!
PS — I’m in the 54% who treat mom to a nice brunch or dinner.
There are many other gifting opportunities to get tech. Mothers Day is a more sentimental occasion (at least in our household of 5) and the gift should reflect that. Maybe an iPad does for some.
Well most of our current clients fall into the traditional gift category, so we’re happy to keep it there. Regardless of what you sell, Mother’s Day offers brick and mortar retailers a great opportunity to engage their customers, drive both moms and buyers into the store for events, and connect on their emotional element of this holiday. Retailers who make MD bigger than just buying a gift will certainly do better.
Mother’s Day has always been one of candy, flowers and take-mom-out-to-dinner, so there’s no reason to expect that it’s going to be a huge retail opportunity for selling gifts, especially high-end gifts like an iPad. That said, more power to the retailers that can think of a way to promote Mother’s Day from the gift-giving perspective. They should give it the best shot, but keep expectations low.
Flowers, are cheap, easy, desired, and accessible. You can’t beat that combination! Sure, any retailer can experiment with upscale items, however, just ensure the sell-through plans of the merchandise is feasible.
I’d like to receive a can of pricey power steering fluid for my ’97 BMW 840Ci for Father’s Day. Like that’ll happen. Woodrow Wilson, who many believe was our worst president ever didn’t realize what he unleashed on American men in 1914 when he proclaimed Mother’s Day “for American citizens to show the flag in honor of those mothers whose sons had died in war.”
I wonder how many of today’s mothers who are expecting gifts on May 13 actually lost sons in war. I wonder how many of them really know anything more about Mother’s Day other than “gimme something.” I wonder about mothers who lost daughters in war, and how they will be honored. I wonder how many of us will “show the flag” in honor of moms on Sunday, the 13th.
Mother’s Day is a patriotic holiday. But, as is our wont, we have morphed it into yet another consumerist occasion — like Valentine’s Day — wherein women are supposed to receive gifts. Men are not expected to receive gifts on Father’s Day or Valentine’s Day, but women expect largesse on Mother’s Day and Valentine’s Day. What’s wrong with this picture?
For myself, my mom is gone and I treat her sister — my Aunt Helen — several states away as my surrogate mom. She’ll receive an armful of roses from me just as she has for many years. I love her phone calls when she receives them, and I thank Woodrow Wilson every time.
Isn’t the real question ‘Should retailers be more innovative and/or take risks?’ The answer is a resounding yes. Shopping for mom is very difficult. Flowers are safe. Clothing often bombs.
As with any gift period, provide ideas and shoppers will respond in kind.
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Mother’s Day is still a holiday with a gift-giving budget ceiling, especially since the recession. Most tech gifts simply don’t fit into these price constraints, especially when you add in the cost of flowers or brunch. And, frankly, there is more personal sentiment required for a Mother’s Day gift — putting jewelry, apparel or other personal gifts at the top of the list. Rather than being overly adventurous, it may make more sense for department stores and apparel retailers to focus on what they do best.
Well, this is a hoot. Yesterday, on the way to get my wife a certificate for a pedicure for Mother’s Day, I passed a jewelry store and almost bought her more bling. Over the years, that’s always been nice, but somehow seemed boring this year, at least to me. Approaching the place for the pedicures, I suddenly decided to price out an iPad for her. It hurt, but I got her one. And I couldn’t contain myself (as usual) so she opened it last night. Guys out there, it was more of a home run than any bling or a dozen pedicures. This impulse purchase happened out of thin air; but I was very open to ideas, and I bet if the computer store advertised iPads for Mother’s Day, they’d sell a lot more. Just sayin’….
The traditional gifts have dominated for several reasons. While if might sound trite part of the reason is that they are the traditional gift. It is what people have grown up with and there is a long history of doing “X” in the family. Second they general are a “reasonable” price point. Mother’s day spending is not likely to match that for a birthday or Christmas — especially in an economy that is still wobbly. This doesn’t mean traditions cannot be challenged or changed, but I don’t expect to see a new tradition of Mom getting a new iPad every year.
Traditional gifts dominate because it is EASY and nostalgic. Retailers are missing a huge opportunity; based on my kitchen research, I see plenty of moms at kids’ sporting events with iPads. The iPad is just as much a fashion accessory these days as a Coach handbag!
Come on retailers (and men), step up!
PS — I’m in the 54% who treat mom to a nice brunch or dinner.
There are many other gifting opportunities to get tech. Mothers Day is a more sentimental occasion (at least in our household of 5) and the gift should reflect that. Maybe an iPad does for some.
Well most of our current clients fall into the traditional gift category, so we’re happy to keep it there. Regardless of what you sell, Mother’s Day offers brick and mortar retailers a great opportunity to engage their customers, drive both moms and buyers into the store for events, and connect on their emotional element of this holiday. Retailers who make MD bigger than just buying a gift will certainly do better.
Mother’s Day has always been one of candy, flowers and take-mom-out-to-dinner, so there’s no reason to expect that it’s going to be a huge retail opportunity for selling gifts, especially high-end gifts like an iPad. That said, more power to the retailers that can think of a way to promote Mother’s Day from the gift-giving perspective. They should give it the best shot, but keep expectations low.
Flowers, are cheap, easy, desired, and accessible. You can’t beat that combination! Sure, any retailer can experiment with upscale items, however, just ensure the sell-through plans of the merchandise is feasible.
I’d like to receive a can of pricey power steering fluid for my ’97 BMW 840Ci for Father’s Day. Like that’ll happen. Woodrow Wilson, who many believe was our worst president ever didn’t realize what he unleashed on American men in 1914 when he proclaimed Mother’s Day “for American citizens to show the flag in honor of those mothers whose sons had died in war.”
I wonder how many of today’s mothers who are expecting gifts on May 13 actually lost sons in war. I wonder how many of them really know anything more about Mother’s Day other than “gimme something.” I wonder about mothers who lost daughters in war, and how they will be honored. I wonder how many of us will “show the flag” in honor of moms on Sunday, the 13th.
Mother’s Day is a patriotic holiday. But, as is our wont, we have morphed it into yet another consumerist occasion — like Valentine’s Day — wherein women are supposed to receive gifts. Men are not expected to receive gifts on Father’s Day or Valentine’s Day, but women expect largesse on Mother’s Day and Valentine’s Day. What’s wrong with this picture?
For myself, my mom is gone and I treat her sister — my Aunt Helen — several states away as my surrogate mom. She’ll receive an armful of roses from me just as she has for many years. I love her phone calls when she receives them, and I thank Woodrow Wilson every time.
Isn’t the real question ‘Should retailers be more innovative and/or take risks?’ The answer is a resounding yes. Shopping for mom is very difficult. Flowers are safe. Clothing often bombs.
As with any gift period, provide ideas and shoppers will respond in kind.