The Mother's Day 2026 report forms part of the analyst's Retail Occasions series, and offers a comprehensive insight into the consumer dynamics and spending habits of British consumers on Mother's Day. The report analyses the market, the major players, the main trends, and consumer attitudes.
Participation in Mother’s Day rose slightly from last year, with most UK consumers continuing to view it as an important occasion of the year. Spending on food and drink increased moderately and mobile shopping and home delivery remained the dominant channels for gift purchasing, indicating a continued shift toward convenience and celebrating at home.
Participation in Mother’s Day rose slightly from last year, with most UK consumers continuing to view it as an important occasion of the year. Spending on food and drink increased moderately and mobile shopping and home delivery remained the dominant channels for gift purchasing, indicating a continued shift toward convenience and celebrating at home.
Report Scope
- More people spent on Mother’s Day in 2026, helped by stronger financial confidence and more salary-funded purchasing
- Shoppers spent more on retail-led celebrations in 2026, with food and drink remaining a key part of making an event of the day
- Shoppers celebrated more people in 2026, extending gifting beyond just mothers
Reasons to Buy
- Identify the key retailers used by consumers to purchase Mother's Day products across various categories, and what drives consumers to shop with these retailers
- Understand the most appealing Mother's Day categories shopped for by consumers in 2026
- Understand which channels used by consumers are the most popular when shopping for Mother's Day products
Table of Contents
- KEY FINDINGS
- Summary of Mother's Day 2026
- Key findings
- An uplift in Mother’s Day shopping was driven by increased spend on retail items
- Consumers spent across all categories as they made an event out of this occasion
- Trend insight - stores
- Trend insight - online
- CONSUMER ATTITUDES
- Participation dynamics
- Buying dynamics
- Financial wellbeing
- Mother's Day spending
- Financing occasion spending
- Mother's Day spending
- Who shoppers bought for
- Mother's Day activities
- Meal choices
- Takeaway cuisines
- Dining in choices
- Mother's Day statements
- Retailer selection
- Retailer ratings - grocers
- Retailer ratings - non-food retailers
- Retailer drivers by category
- Secondhand Mother's Day buying dynamics
- FOOD & DRINK
- Buying dynamics
- Retailer selection
- Channel usage
- Store type
- Device usage
- Fulfilment
- Spending
- Buying dynamics
- GIFTING
- Buying dynamics
- Retailer selection
- Channel usage
- Store type
- Device usage
- Fulfilment
- Spending
- Buying dynamics
- CARDS & GIFT WRAP
- Buying dynamics
- Retailer selection
- Channel usage
- Store type
- Device usage
- Fulfilment
- Buying dynamics
- METHODOLOGY
- Technical details: consumer survey work
- Retailer ratings across key measures - grocers, 2026
- Retailer ratings across key measures - non-food retailers, 2026
- Mother's Day secondhand products purchased, 2026
- Percentage point change - top 10 retailers shopped at for Mother's Day food & drink, 2025 to 2026
- Percentage point change - top 10 retailers most shopped at for Mother's Day food & drink, 2025 to 2026
- Percentage point change - top 10 retailers consumers switched to for Mother's Day food & drink, 2025 to 2026
- Products purchased, sweet products, 2025 & 2026
- Products purchased, meat & meat-free alternatives, 2025 & 2026
- Products purchased, fruit & vegetables, 2025 & 2026
- Products purchased, alcoholic beverages, 2025 & 2026
- Products purchased, breakfast foods, 2025 & 2026
- Products purchased, non-alcoholic drinks, 2025 & 2026
- Products purchased, frozen foods, 2025 & 2026
- Products purchased, fish, 2025 & 2026
- Products purchased, ready meals, 2025 & 2026
- Products purchased, delicatessen products, 2025 & 2026
- Food & drink products bought on impulse, 2025 & 2026
- Percentage point change - top 10 retailers shopped at for Mother's Day gifts, 2025 to 2026
- Products purchased, food & drink gifts, 2025 & 2026
- Retailers used, food & drink gifts, 2025 & 2026
- Products purchased, flowers & plants, 2025 & 2026
- Retailers used, flowers & plants, 2025 & 2026
- Products purchased, fine jewellery & watches, 2025 & 2026
- Retailers used, fine jewellery & watches, 2025 & 2026
- Products purchased, clothing, 2025 & 2026
- Retailers used, clothing, 2025 & 2026
- Products purchased, health & beauty, 2025 & 2026
- Retailers used, health & beauty, 2025 & 2026
- Products purchased, accessories & footwear, 2025 & 2026
- Retailers used, accessories & footwear, 2025 & 2026
- Products purchased, homewares, 2025 & 2026
- Retailers used, homewares, 2025 & 2026
- Products purchased, experience, 2025 & 2026
- Products purchased, vouchers & money, 2025 & 2026
- Products purchased, stationery, 2025 & 2026
- Retailers used, stationery, 2025 & 2026
- Products purchased, books, 2025 & 2026
- Retailers used, books, 2025 & 2026
- Products purchased, entertainment, 2025 & 2026
- Retailers used, entertainment, 2025 & 2026
- Products purchased, electricals, 2025 & 2026
- Retailers used, electricals, 2025 & 2026
- Products purchased, DIY & Gardening, 2025 & 2026
- Retailers used, DIY & Gardening, 2025 & 2026
- Products purchased, sports, 2025 & 2026
- Retailers used, sports, 2025 & 2026
- Gift products bought on impulse, 2025 & 2026
- Gift products personalised, 2025 & 2026
- Average spend on cards & gift wrap, 2025 & 2026
- Percentage point change - top 10 retailers shopped at for Mother's Day cards & gift wrap, 2025 to 2026
- Products purchased, cards, 2025 & 2026
- Retailers used, cards, 2025 & 2026
- Products purchased, gift wrap, 2025 & 2026
- Retailers used, gift wrap, 2025 & 2026
- Cards & gift wrap products bought on impulse, 2025 & 2026
- Mother's Day Retail Shopper Penetration, 2020-2026
- Top 5 Mother's Day Activities (2026)
- Grocers switched to for Mother's Day food & drink shopping (2026)
- Fulfilment methods used by card & gift wrap shoppers (2026)
- Mother’s Day participation penetration, 2024, 2025 & 2026
- Mother’s Day shopper penetration, 2024, 2025 & 2026
- Mother’s Day shopper profile, 2026
- Mother’s Day retail shopper penetration, 2024, 2025 & 2026
- Mother’s Day leisure shopper penetration, 2024, 2025 & 2026
- Financial wellbeing compared to last year, 2025 & 2026
- Mother's Day spending compared to last year, 2025 & 2026
- How consumers financed Mother's Day spending compared to last year, 2025 & 2026
- How consumers split Mother's Day spending between retail & leisure, 2026
- Who consumers spent money on for Mother's Day, 2025 & 2026
- Mother's Day activities undertaken, 2026
- Mother’s Day dining out choices, 2025 & 2026
- Mother’s Day takeaway cuisines, 2025 & 2026
- Mother’s Day dining in choices, 2025 & 2026
- Agreement and disagreement with statements about Mother’s Day 2026, and change on 2025
- Which retailer did the best job of promoting or communicating deals for Mother’s Day 2026
- What’s driving retailer selection - summary, 2026
- Mother's Day secondhand purchase penetration, 2026
- Reasons for shopping secondhand, 2026
- Reasons for not shopping secondhand, 2026
- Food & drink penetration, 2024, 2025 & 2026
- Retailers shopped at for food & drink, 2025 & 2026
- Retailers most shopped at for food & drink, 2025 & 2026
- What’s driving retailer selection among food & drink shoppers 2026, and change on 2025
- Consumers switching from their usual main food & drink retailer, 2024, 2025 & 2026
- Retailers consumers switched to, 2025 & 2026
- Consumers using each channel for food & drink, 2025 & 2026
- Consumers using each store type for food & drink, 2025 & 2026
- Consumers using each device for food & drink purchases, 2025 & 2026
- Consumers using each fulfilment option for food & drink, 2025 & 2026
- Mother’s Day food & drink average spend by retailer 2026, and change on 2025
- Sweet products penetration, 2026 (by demographic) and 2024 & 2025 penetration
- Meat & meat-free alternatives penetration, 2026 (by demographic) and 2024 & 2025 penetration
- Fruit & vegetables penetration, 2026 (by demographic) and 2024 & 2025 penetration
- Alcoholic beverages penetration, 2026 (by demographic) and 2024 & 2025 penetration
- Breakfast foods penetration, 2026 (by demographic) and 2024 & 2025 penetration
- Non-alcoholic drinks penetration, 2026 (by demographic) and 2024 & 2025 penetration
- Frozen foods penetration, 2026 (by demographic) and 2024 & 2025 penetration
- Fish penetration, 2026 (by demographic) and 2024 & 2025 penetration
- Ready meals & meal deals products penetration, 2026 (by demographic) and 2024 & 2025 penetration
- Delicatessen products penetration, 2026 (by demographic) and 2024 & 2025 penetration
- Planned/impulse purchases, food & drink, 2026
- Gifts overall penetration, 2024, 2025 & 2026
- Retailers shopped at for gifts, 2025 & 2026
- What’s driving retailer selection among gift shoppers 2026, and change on 2025
- Consumers using each channel for gifts, 2025 & 2026
- Consumers using each physical store type for gifts, 2025 & 2026
- Consumers using each device for gifts, 2025 & 2026
- Consumers using each fulfilment option for gifts, 2025 & 2026
- Mother's Day gifts average spend 2026, and change on 2025
- Food & drink gifts penetration, 2026 (by demographic) and 2024 & 2025 penetration
- Flowers & plants penetration, 2026 (by demographic) and 2024 & 2025 penetration
- Fine jewellery & watches penetration, 2026 (by demographic) and 2024 & 2025 penetration
- Clothing penetration, 2026 (by demographic) and 2024 & 2025 penetration
- Health & beauty penetration, 2026 (by demographic) and 2024 & 2025 penetration
- Accessories & footwear penetration, 2026 (by demographic) and 2024 & 2025 penetration
- Homewares penetration, 2026 (by demographic) and 2024 & 2025 penetration
- Experience gifts penetration, 2026 (by demographic) and 2024 & 2025 penetration
- Vouchers & money penetration, 2026 (by demographic) and 2024 & 2025 penetration
- Stationery penetration, 2026 (by demographic) and 2024 & 2025 penetration
- Books penetration, 2026 (by demographic) and 2024 & 2025 penetration
- Entertainment penetration, 2026 (by demographic) and 2024 & 2025 penetration
- Electricals penetration, 2026 (by demographic) and 2024 & 2025 penetration
- DIY & Gardening penetration, 2026 (by demographic) and 2024 & 2025 penetration
- Sports penetration, 2026 (by demographic) and 2024 & 2025 penetration
- Planned/impulse purchases, gifts, 2025 & 2026
- Personalised products, gifts, 2025 & 2026
- Cards & gift wrap penetration, 2026 (by demographic) and 2024 & 2025 penetration
- Retailers shopped at for cards & gift wrap, 2025 & 2026
- What’s driving retailer selection among cards & gift wrap shoppers 2026, and change on 2025
- Consumers using each channel for cards & gift wrap, 2025 & 2026
- Consumers using each store type for cards & gift wrap, 2025 & 2026
- Consumers using each device for cards & gift wrap purchases, 2025 & 2026
- Consumers using each fulfilment option for cards & gift wrap, 2025 & 2026
- Cards penetration, 2026 (by demographic) and 2024 & 2025 penetration
- Gift wrap penetration, 2026 (by demographic) and 2024 & 2025 penetration
- Planned/impulse purchases, cards & gift wrap, 2025 & 2026
- Proportion of consumers that personalised cards, 2025 & 2026
Companies Mentioned (Partial List)
A selection of companies mentioned in this report includes, but is not limited to:
- Aldi
- Amazon
- Apple
- Argos
- ASDA
- ASOS
- B&M
- B&Q
- Beauty Bay
- Bloom & Wild
- Boots
- Card Factory
- Clintons
- Crocus
- Currys
- Dobbies
- Footasylum
- GAME
- H&M
- H. Samuel
- HMV
- Hobbycraft
- Home Bargains
- Iceland
- JD Sports
- John Lewis & Partners
- Lidl
- Lululemon
- Marks & Spencer
- Matalan
- Moonpig
- Morrisons
- New Balance
- New Look
- Next
- Nike
- Pandora
- Poundland
- Primark
- Sainsbury's
- Savers
- Superdrug
- Temu
- Tesco
- TG Jones
- The Body Shop
- The Works
- Tiffany & Co
- TK Maxx
- Very
- Waitrose & Partners
- Warren James
- Waterstones
- WH Smith
- Wickes
- Zara
- Zavvi
