WASHINGTON, DC, Apr 18, 2007/ --- This Mother’s Day, consumers plan to spend $15.73 billion as they shower the women in their lives with jewelry, flowers, clothing, and even trips to the spa.

According to the National Retail Federation’s 2007 Mother’s Day Consumer Actions and Intentions survey, conducted by BIGresearch, consumers are expected to spend an average of $139.14 on the holiday compared to last year’s $122.16.

The study found that the majority of consumers plan to celebrate (84.5%) this year. Shoppers plan to spend nearly $1.6 billion on clothes and accessories (37.0%), $2.1 billion on jewelry (32.8%), $2.3 billion on flowers (72.4%) and $3.1 billion on a special dinner or brunch at their favorite restaurant (61.0%).

“For mom, it’s the thought that counts,” said NRF President and CEO Tracy Mullin. “As people find more creative ways to treat the women in their lives to something special, retailers of all types and sizes stand to benefit from Mother’s Day.”

Other popular gifts for the holiday include greeting cards (86.8%), gift certificates (39.3%), books or CDs (29.3%), housewares or gardening tools (18.5%) and consumer electronics or computer related accessories (11.3%).

In recent years, pampering mom with a personal service gift such as a trip to the spa or beauty salon has become a favorite gift choice, with 19.7 percent of consumers planning on dishing out $1.3 billion on these gifts. Last year, only 14.5 percent of consumers purchased this type of service for mom.

The large majority (37.5%) of gifts will be purchased at a specialty store, such as a florist, jeweler or electronics store. Almost one-quarter (24.0%) of consumers will shop at a discount store, 29.0 percent will head to a department store and 2.9 percent will buy from a catalog. As online shopping continues to become a favorite way to shop, 20.0 percent of consumers will shop for mom online, compared to only 16.9 percent who did so last year.

“Although it’s hard to measure our love for mom, consumers continue to spend on special, one-of-a-kind gifts for her,” stated Phil Rist, Vice President of Strategy at BIGresearch. “Luxury gifts such as jewelry and special services like a gift card to a spa allow mom to indulge on something she normally does not spend her own money on.”

Not surprisingly, men plan to spend the most this Mother’s Day, with the average male shopper planning to spend $172.91, compared to women’s estimated $107.18. Shoppers ages 25-34 will spend the most this year ($151.42), followed by 35-44 year olds ($147.30), 55-64 year olds ($138.14) and 18-24 year olds ($137.73).

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