Most popular Mother’s Day gift for 43% is a simple card
Sunday is the biggest date in the greetings calendar bar Christmas – yes, it’s Mother’s Day, when celebrating the amazing women in your life comes to the fore, and the simplest way is with a card.
A YouGov survey has confirmed that cards are also the most popular treat for the big day, which this year is on Sunday, March 30, as 43% of those asked said they’d like to receive one, while 39% wanted flowers, 34% look forward to being taken out for a meal, and 11% said they didn’t want anything at all.
Above: Sarah Laker got busy with her Mother’s Day window at Stationery Supplies in Marple
And Google confirmed there’s been an increased demand, with the internet search engine’s trends data showing a 20% increase in searches for “Mother’s Day card” last year at the peak of demand compared with 2023 – and wholesaler Tiger Feet also saw a similar increase in sales with the trend looking set to continue this year.
Over recent years the demand for alternative Mother’s Day cards has grown, showing that women outside of the traditional mother and child celebrations are increasingly being incorporated into Mother’s Day card giving.
Last year, Tiger Feet saw a 60% year-on-year increase in sales of wholesale cards for Godmother 1st Mother’s Day was up 53%, while Someone Special rose 41%, and Wife by 33%.
Nicola Evans, cards and gift wrap category manager at Tiger Feet, said: “The increase in appetite for Mother’s Day cards for those other than their mum is likely due to people wanting to celebrate all the special women in their life.
“Having a wide variety of greeting cards available for all those important women in a person’s life is a great way to honour them, show them you love them, and make them feel included in this special day. A card may only be small, but it’s so mighty and can bring a lot of joy and hold sentimental value for our loved ones.”
Above: Pop-up cards from Noel Tatt have been highlighted on social media by Cards & Gifts, Dronfield
Grandmothers are also very important, and ensuring there are designs for the many different names they’re known by is key, with the wholesaler seeing Y-O-Y sales increases for Grandmother (79%), Nannie (58%), Gran (51%), Granny (47%), Nanna (39%) and Grandma (15%) captions.
“This growing trend reflects the recognition of the role grandparents can play in family life,” Nicola added, “with many seeing their grandmothers as maternal figures, making them just as deserving of celebration on this special day.”
“The diverse ways people refer to their grandmothers are also reflected in the sales, as grandparents’ nicknames vary by region, and less formal and snappier names have become more popular. The variation highlights the personalisable nature of Mother’s Day cards, that are suitable for a number of families.”
Above: Shop On The Island’s Chelle Thompson highlighted lots of designs in South Molton
Once the card has been secured, the next thing is what to do with mum on the big day, and 70% of those in the YouGov poll want to spend it with their children, while 31% want to be with their own mother and family,
Spending time on their own was good for 11% – with one respondent saying she wanted to “go out for a meal alone, drinking wine on the beach alone, then going home to spend time alone” – while just 3% want to spend time with their own romantic partner!
