US consumers to go online to shop for mom

Though average spending is projected to decline slightly, more shoppers will buy online this year than last, according to a report from the National Retail Federation trade group and Prosper Insights & Analytics, which surveyed 7,000 shoppers in early April. 27.3% of all shoppers say they intend to buy something for their moms online, up from 25.0% last year. Regardless of where they shop, consumers will spend an average of $172.22 this year, down slightly from $172.63 last year. Mother’s Day is Sunday.

A greater share of consumers will complete those purchases on their smartphones. 15.5% of adults 18 and older surveyed plan to buy a gift for mom on their smartphone this year, up from 13.7% last year. Meanwhile, 17.9% will buy using their tablets compared to 18.3% last year.

Flowers are another top pick for the holiday, and florists are making a big push. AdGooroo tracked desktop paid search advertising in the flowers and gifts category between April 1 and May 1 on nearly 2,000 nonbranded keywords. The paid-search firm found that 1,944 advertisers—led by floral advertisers—spent $8.1 million advertising on searches related to flowers and gifts during that period.

With Mother‚Äôs Day falling earlier this year than it did last year ‚Äì May 8, compared to May 10th last year — retailers are trying to woo shoppers who are pressed for time. Sears Holdings Corp., No. 14 in the Top 500, is using the lure of a $5,000 gift card to win last-minute Mother‚Äôs Day online business. Members of its You‚Äôre your Way rewards program who buy online and opt for Sears‚Äô in-vehicle pickup service, wherein shoppers can order online, drive to the closest Sears retail location, park, and have their online order delivered directly to their car, are eligible to win the gift card. The offer applied to orders placed from Tuesday through Saturday of this week. The retailer is also offering discounts on jewelry, kitchen appliances and other Mother‚Äôs Day gift items.

The National Retail Federation