Saying it with flowers tops the $1 billion cash splash on Mum for 12 May
Australians are set to spend $995 million on Mother’s Day this year – up $70 million, or 7.5% from 2023 – with flowers, alcohol, or an experience topping the gifts for mothers and others, research from the Australian Retailers Association (ARA) in collaboration with Roy Morgan reveals.
Despite the increased spend, 400,000 fewer people are set to buy Mother’s Day gifts this year – highlighting the impact of the cost-of-living crunch.
The higher overall spend is due to a higher spend per person of $102 (up from $92 in 2023), reflecting inflationary driven price increases and indicating those who are less affected by cost-of-living pressures are spending more.
The most popular gifts are tipped to be:
- Flowers: mentioned by 41% of respondents (up from 27% in 2023).
- Alcohol/food: mentioned by 17% of respondents (down from 29% in 2023).
- An experience (trip away, dinner out): mentioned by 16% of respondents (up from 5% in 2023).
- Clothing/shoes/sleepwear: mentioned by 10% of respondents (broadly the same as 2023).
Continuing the trend in recent years, about a fifth (19%) of people who purchase a present will be gifting somebody other than their birth mother. This includes their partner, friend, mother-in-law, grandmother, sister and daughter.
About 20% of Australians will celebrate the occasion with a meal at a café or restaurant, while 35% percent of Aussies will spoil mum with a feast at home.
ARA CEO Paul Zahra said retailer promotions have already begun, with florists set to be the biggest beneficiaries.
“With Mother’s Day just under four weeks away, most Australians are ready to generously spend to show appreciation for their mothers, despite ongoing financial pressures,” he said.
“Whilst the overall spend is higher this year, less Australians will be buying gifts – which shows us how cost-of-living pressures and high interest rates are disproportionately affecting families.
“Mother’s Day is not only a celebration of mothers and their countless sacrifices but also an opportunity for many to express gratitude towards their partners, caregivers, and other family members.
“With flowers rising to the top of the gift list this year, it’s clear that celebrations will have a soft and sentimental theme, after what has been a tough year for many households.
“While the cost of living might deter personal indulgences, people remain eager to treat their loved ones. Champagne and chocolates remain a popular choice with family gatherings and dinners also popular, benefiting the food and hospitality sectors.
“Naturally with an event such as Mother’s Day, it will also be a busy time for florists across the country – so we urge shoppers to avoid leaving their purchases until the last minute as flowers are the perfect gift to pre-order online.”
Mother’s Day is celebrated on Sunday, 12 May 2024.
The ARA-Roy Morgan Snap SMS survey was conducted with an Australian-wide cross-section of 2,191 Australians aged 18+ on Wednesday April 3 – Friday April 5, 2024.
Media Enquiries:
M 0434 381 670
E media@retail.org.au.
About the Australian Retailers Association (ARA)
The Australian Retailers Association (ARA) is the oldest, largest and most diverse national retail body, representing a $430 billion sector that employs 1.3 million Australians and is the largest private sector employer in the country. As Australia’s peak retail body, representing more than 120,000 retail shop fronts and online stores, the ARA informs, advocates, educates, protects and unifies our independent, national and international retail community. To learn more about ARA’s exclusive member benefits and more, visit retail.org.au
About Roy Morgan
Roy Morgan is Australia’s largest independent Australian research company, with offices in each state, as well as in the U.S. and U.K. A full-service research organisation, Roy Morgan has over 80 years’ experience collecting objective, independent information on consumers. To learn more visit www.roymorgan.com.
Margin of Error
The margin of error to be allowed for in any estimate depends mainly on the number of interviews on which it is based. Margin of error gives indications of the likely range within which estimates would be 95% likely to fall, expressed as the number of percentage points above or below the actual estimate. Allowance for design effects (such as stratification and weighting) should be made as appropriate.
| Sample Size | Percentage Estimate |
| 40% – 60% | 25% or 75% | 10% or 90% | 5% or 95% | |
| 1,000 | ±3.0 | ±2.7 | ±1.9 | ±1.3 |
| 5,000 | ±1.4 | ±1.2 | ±0.8 | ±0.6 |
| 7,500 | ±1.1 | ±1.0 | ±0.7 | ±0.5 |
| 10,000 | ±1.0 | ±0.9 | ±0.6 | ±0.4 |
| 20,000 | ±0.7 | ±0.6 | ±0.4 | ±0.3 |
| 50,000 | ±0.4 | ±0.4 | ±0.3 | ±0.2 |
