What Mother’s Day sales trends (so far) say about consumer sentiment and tariffs

Still, Lala said this year’s gift-giver is doing more comparison shopping and looking to get the most bang for their buck. Orders are coming in later as people shop around for the best deal, she said, and shoppers are looking for ways to personalize the gift-giving experience by adding a vase or candle.

“Value and quality for money has always been a focus of the consumer, especially because flowers are, at the end of the day, a very intentional purchase,” she said. “They’re looking at all the offerings and then making their choices very thoughtfully.”

Mother’s Day spending is expected to reach $34.1 billion this year, per the National Retail Federation, up from $33.5 billion last year but below the record of $35.7 billion set in 2023. Those who celebrate plan to spend an average of $259, about $5 more than last year. Flowers are the most popular gift category, with about 74% of shoppers buying flowers. Other popular gifts include cards, outings and food.

In turn, floral brands see big business this time of year. Lala said sales can be up as high as 10 times that of an average day. So far this year, brands are reporting higher AOVs and increased demand. But they’re also observing that shoppers are shopping with more intent and not looking to buy just anything. As NRF found, about 48% of shoppers want a unique gift, and 42% say they want a gift that creates a special memory.

For brands, the season started with some trepidation due to weakening consumer sentiment and increased production costs. Florals have a complex supply chain that sources from farms all over the world. Bouquets at UrbanStems, for instance, could include roses from Chile and tulips from Holland, both of which are now subject to 10% tariffs.

Lala said that while UrbanStems may rethink its where it sources particular blooms in the future, this year’s orders were already in.

“For all the floral businesses out there, the timing wasn’t the best for Mother’s Day,” she said. “Our planning and forecasting is a year out. We give our farms our forecasting a year out. We didn’t have the ability to pivot our supply chain this close to a large holiday.”

BloomNation’s co-founder Gregg Weisstein said average order volumes are up about 5% this year. It’s a critical bump, given that local florists can do 15-20% of their annual revenue during the Mother’s Day holiday. “It’s a big piece of revenue,” he said. This year, many florists may be raising costs and trimming down what they offer if costs become an issue. Florists, he said, usually pare back their Mother’s Day offerings anyway.

“It’s impossible for them to offer the same standard catalog, just because, from a logistical standpoint, having all the variety is too hard,” he said. “They always reduce their catalog anyway for a holiday to be able to handle more orders.”

Edible CEO Somia Farid Silber said in an email to Modern Retail that the economic climate has the company testing new pricing and delivery models this year. That includes offering more lower-priced options, she said. Edible also highlights which products on its site are available for one-hour delivery. In addition, it’s leaning into the trend of emotionally resonant, experimental gifts, like collaborating with L.A.-based artist Jeanetta Gonzalez on hand-painted vases, special botanical wrapping and custom inserts. People are being more cautious with spending, which leads to more intentional gifting, she said.

“We know people are being more thoughtful with how they spend right now, and we’re responding by offering accessible options without compromising on the experience,” she said.

Silber said she’s also noticing people ordering later. In 2024, 67% of Mother’s Day orders at Edible were placed within 24 hours of delivery, and one in three were same-day. Part of this could come from people forgetting until the last minute, or taking as long as they can to shop around and make a decision. “So far in 2025, it’s tracking even later. Consumers are holding out until the very last minute, and we expect that trend to continue,” Silber said.

For larger players, expansion and selection is one way to court the intentional customer. Edible is faring well with colorful gift sets or combinations of products, or “anything that shows ‘I put some thought into this,'” Silber said.

At UrbanStems, the catalog this year was expanded to include some new categories and collaborations. Last year, the company saw customers place an average of 1.4 orders, indicating people wanted to honor more than one mother figure in their lives. Now UrbanStems offers new arrangements like The Auntie and The Bonus Mom to help drive additional sales. 

UrbanStems also partnered with food delivery company Goldbelly to pair bouquets with specialty treats like Ina Garten’s coconut cake, Carla Hall’s cookies and Martha Stewart’s cake. Pairings sold out in 48 hours, Lala said. 

“They’re not just going for, ‘Let’s just get flowers,'” Lala said. “They’re saying, ‘If I’m spending dollars, how am I spending them? Where am I spending them?'” The consumer wants to make more meaningful investments.”