Mummy’s boys lead Mother’s Day spending: Men spend £12.18 more than women on the occasion

With Mothering Sunday this weekend (Sunday 6th March), it seems it’s sons rather than daughters who will be splashing out on the occasion. Indeed, new research from Mintel reveals that men spent £12.18 more on mum than daughters did on Mother’s Day in 2015.

For men who spent money on the occasion, the average spend was £41.15, whilst the average spend for women was £28.97. Indeed, rather than preparing for the event, men are more likely to have bought on impulse. One quarter (24%) of men who bought gifts for Mother’s Day last year said they bought on impulse, compared to 18% of women. Despite this, Mintel research shows that more women than men splashed out for Mother’s Day last year – 62% of women purchased gifts, compared to 57% of men.

Overall 60% of Brits spent money for Mother’s Day last year and whilst almost one third (31%) of Brits bought cards, 29% bought flowers and 15% bought chocolate gifts. Brits are estimated to have spent over half a billion (£510 million) on products for Mother’s Day in 2015.

Brits are estimated to have spent over half a billion on products for Mother’s Day in 2015

Nick Carroll, Retail Analyst at Mintel, said:

“Mother’s Day is one of the biggest events in the retail calendar, with the majority of Brits purchasing for the event. The fact that men spend £12 more on the event than women is due in part to the fact that men are more likely to purchase gifts on impulse, pushing up the average spend. Men with young children may also have to purchase mother’s day presents for both their own mother’s and their partners which additionally impacts the average spend.”

As well as differences in gender, it seems that there are also changes in generosity across regions. Over two thirds (69%) of those living in the West Midlands bought at least one product for Mother’s Day last year. In comparison, just 51% of those in Scotland bought a gift for mum last Mother’s Day.

But when it comes to spending the most, those in London appear to have the deepest pockets. On average, Londoners spent £87.12 on Mother’s Day products in 2015. In contrast, those in Yorkshire and Humberside spent £23.41.

However, despite having the highest spending habits, mother’s with children living in London may be missing out on a visit this Mother’s Day. One quarter (24%) of Londoners say that they send gifts by post on Mother’s Day or Father’s Day rather than visiting, compared to an overall average of 17%.

“Those living in London were found to be more likely to have spent on services, such as going out for a meal, than most other areas in the UK whilst gift purchasing also remained high. This paints a picture of many consumers in London that are spending both on services and a gift for mother’s day which will obviously push up the average spend.”

Finally, whilst many will be rushing to the tills this Mother’s Day, it seems there won’t be as much of a stir for Father’s Day. Mintel estimates that £360 million was spent on products for Father’s Day in 2015, with less than half (47%) of Brits spending any money on the occasion.

“There is certainly room to grow the market for Father’s Day, especially for retailers engaged in the selling of entertainment products, such as DVDs, CDs or books, which is a popular gift category for the occasion. There is also room for retailers of relatively newer forms of entertainment such as video game specialists to better engage in Father’s Day.” Nick concludes.

Press review copies of the Seasonal Shopping (Spring/Summer) UK 2015 report and interviews with Retail Analyst Nick Carroll are available on request from the press office.