The Business of Mother’s Day

Cleveland, Ohio (April 2008) – In a time when every mom (regardless of how she spends her day) is a working mom, the celebration of Mother’s Day has never been more appropriate. With moms racing from home to games, meetings and activities…today’s moms really do put the “all” in “all she does.” And showing appreciation on Mother’s Day, celebrated this year on Sunday, May 11, is at once universal and personal. While we all shower mom with gifts and appreciation, what matters most to her are the familiar touches we add that reflect our own relationship.

This year this heartfelt thanks will come with a price…. a price that is well worth it, but a price nonetheless. According to the National Retail Federation, this year consumers will spend more than $15 billion on mom, with the average consumer spending nearly $140 to show her how wonderful she is.

With all that spending going on, what can mom expect to see this year? American Greetings trend experts have the following tid-bits on the holiday.

A country full of moms: The latest US Census estimates show that there are 80.5 million moms in the United States. Here are some additional insights on today’s mom.

• When to expect to be expecting: Today the average age for women to first become pregnant is 25.2. In fact, first births constitute the majority of births per year (40 percent) with second births just behind at 32 percent.

• When do most women become moms? On a Tuesday in July…if you believe in trends. The month of July is the most popular month for births and Tuesday is the most popular day of the week.

• How many celebrants? The average woman can expect to have 2.1 children in their lifetime to help them to celebrate their special day.

• How do you take care of 2.1 children? Today more than 5.6 million women are stay-at-home moms.

What a mom wants: In researching what moms are looking for on Mother’s Day, the trend experts at American Greetings found that appreciation is the true number one gift. In their informal discussions with real life moms to get to know about them and their relationships, the surveyors found that the single most important thing to communicate to mom on Mother’s Day is a simple wish of thanks.

A celebration for every mom: This year more than 84 percent of consumers plan to dole out some appreciation to the mothers in their lives. The most popular gifts will be the tried and true winners. The most popular gift for mom will be greeting cards (86 percent) followed closely, and in many cases including, flowers (72 percent) and a special dinner or brunch at a favorite restaurant (61 percent).

Men and women, young and old: We all show mom some well-deserved love on Mother’s Day. This year the average male shopper is expected to spend more than $172, while the average female shopper is expected to spend just over $107. However, while men may spend a few dollars more, women may be focusing on more emotional gifting, as they account for nearly 80 percent of all greeting card purchases for Mother’s Day.

As with many occasions, the 25-34 year old demographic will lead the way in spending with the average consumer in this age range spending more than $151. Following closely are the 35-44 year olds ($147), the 55-64 year olds ($138) and the youngest demographic, the 18-24 year olds ($137).

New enhancements to a popular gift: While women may buy the most greeting cards for mom, the writers and artists who work on the newest cards draw from all of their relationships as sons, daughters, mothers and even husbands to create offerings truly from the heart.

This year, new enhancements and warm, conversational copy express how special mom is with a card designed to reflect her and the relationships we all share. Fresh embellishments this year include beautiful ribbons and bows, elegant textures and special finishings like embossing.

More than 3,000 cards have been designed this year for Mother’s Day, which is the third most popular card-sending occasion of the year, behind only Christmas and Valentine’s Day.

About American Greetings Corporation
American Greetings Corporation (NYSE: AM) is one of the world's largest manufacturers of social expression products. Along with greeting cards, its product lines include gift wrap, party goods, stationery, calendars, ornaments and electronic greetings. Located in Cleveland, Ohio, American Greetings generates annual revenue of approximately $1.7 billion. For more information on the company, visit http://corporate.americangreetings.com.