New RetailMeNot data shows 72% of U.S. consumers plan to shop for Mother’s Day this year, up from 65% last year. Average planned spend has dropped to $93 per person, down from $360 last year. Participation is up. Budgets are tighter. People are still showing up for the holiday. They’ve just decided what it’s worth to them.
The same thing happened during Easter earlier this year. Strong intent to celebrate, scaled-back spend. Mother’s Day is looking like confirmation of a real 2026 consumer pattern.
What Shoppers Are Actually Buying for Mom
After several years of rising Mother’s Day spending, consumers are resetting. The $93 average is a return to more modest territory. But the gift list tells you the sentiment is still there – people are gravitating toward lower-cost, high-meaning choices over big-ticket ones.
Here’s what shoppers say they’re most likely to give this year:
- Flowers (45%) up from 38% last year
- Food and treats (38%)
- Gift cards (32%)
- Jewelry (21%)
- Personalized gifts (19%)
- Clothing or accessories (19%)
- Beauty or skincare (18%)
- Experiences (18%)
- Handmade or DIY gifts (15%)
- Home or kitchen items (12%)
- Electronics (8%)
- Travel or a trip (8%)
- Subscription services (6%)
Lower-cost, high-sentiment gifts are leading. Big-ticket items are trailing. The list looks like people who decided what the day was worth before they opened their wallets.
The Most Underrated Mother’s Day Gifts Might Not Be Gifts at All
When asked what the most underrated Mother’s Day gift is, consumers’ answers weren’t products, they were relief:
- Quality time with family over a nice meal (21%)
- A day to relax with no responsibilities (19%)
- Household help like cleaning, chores, or errands taken care of (12%)
- Restaurant meals she didn’t have to cook or plan (11%)
- Sleep-in time (9%)
- A gift card to her favorite restaurant or café (8%)
- Takeout or delivery with no cleanup (7%)
- Coffee or breakfast delivered to her door or bed (7%)
- Brunch reservations already planned (6%)
Time. Rest. A day where she doesn’t have to manage, plan, cook, or coordinate anything. Flowers are the number one planned gift. They don’t appear anywhere on this list.
How Consumers Are Making It Work
Rather than skipping the holiday, shoppers are editing how they spend:
- 24% are shopping sales
- 18% are setting lower budgets
- 11% are using promo codes or cash back
- 10% are splitting costs with family
- 10% are choosing experiences instead of physical gifts
27% say they’re not changing their spending at all – a reminder that two very different consumer groups are celebrating Mother’s Day. One is being deliberate about every dollar. The other isn’t moving off their number.
The Bigger Consumer Story
From Easter to Mother’s Day, the same consumer keeps showing up. High intent to celebrate. More selective about spending. Clear preference for meaning over price tag.
The best gift this year probably costs nothing. The data just confirmed it.
Methodology:
RetailMeNot Group Q2 Survey. N= 1,023. Fielded on March 24, 2026
The post Mother’s Day 2026: More People Are Celebrating, But They’re Spending Way Less appeared first on The Real Deal by RetailMeNot.
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