Families are spending a record $35.7 BILLION this Mother’s Day
No wonder restaurants hate Mother’s Day! Families are spending a record $35.7 billion this Sunday
- Total Mother’s Day spending has increased by more than $10 billion since 2018
- Servers say it’s quickly become their least favorite day of the year
- Families were expected to spend $5.4 billion on food and special outings
Restaurateurs say they fear serving feuding families on Mother’s Day after figures showed households will spend $35.7 billion on the holiday.
Research from the National Retail Federation found that families spend $5.4 billion on food and “special outings,” while total spending has increased by more than $10 billion since 2018.
Experts attribute the rise to households prioritizing spending time with their loved ones after the pandemic.
But it means bad news for servers who say the holiday has quickly become one of the worst days of the year.
Joe Haley, a server at an Italian-American restaurant in Quincy, Massachusetts, shared CNN: ‘The mere expectation can make you anxious.
National Retail Federation research found that families will spend $5.4 billion on food and ‘special getaways’
‘It’s getting crowded. People call for a reservation at the last minute, there are other people who have made multiple reservations so mom can make her choice, and they never cancel.β
He added, βAnd every family has at least one black sheep or in-laws that cannot be relied upon to save their lives. Mother’s Day: I’m dreading it.’
San Diego restaurateur Shawn Walchef told the outlet, “It’s the busiest day of the year and also the day when guests have the highest expectations.”
Meanwhile, Chef Art Smith added that families had become pickier since Covid and expected more from eating out.
He told CNN: ‘They drink more. They want more carbs – If it’s mac and cheese, it has to be the cheesiest.
But they want salads, and they also want more vegetarian sides. They just want more.’
In addition, they fear having to discuss expensive bills with tables as inflation has pushed up costs.
Figures released on Wednesday revealed that the annual inflation rate now stands at 4.9 percent β down from the peak of 9.1 percent in June 2022, but still well above the Federal Reserve’s target of 2 percent.
A Mother’s Day brunch at The Circle Restaurant in Palm Beach currently costs $250 per person, compared to $160 in 2019.
Holiday spending has increased by more than $10 billion since 2018
The deal offers unlimited champagne cocktails and a harpist present at every table.
Meanwhile, brunch at the family-owned McLoone’s Boathouse in West Orange, New Jersey, has jumped from $49.95 to $54.95 in 2019, CNN reported.
Household spending on Mother’s Day has been rising steadily for years.
In 2018, families spent $23.1 billion during the holidays, before rising to $25 billion in 2019.
In 2022, families spent $31.7 billion on their mother’s treatment — about $4 billion less than this year.
The three top gift categories in 2023 are: jewelry, special outings and electronics.
Households are expected to spend $7.8 billion, $5.6 billion and $4 billion respectively on each category.
The figures are based on a survey of 8,164 US consumers on behalf of the National Retail Foundation and Prosper Insights & Analytics.
Phil Rist, a strategist at Prosper, said: ‘While most consumers shopped online for the perfect Mother’s Day gift last year, we’re seeing just as many people turn to department stores as a shopping destination this year.
“Experience gifts are growing in popularity, with nearly a third of those who celebrate Mother’s Day planning to gift an experience gift.”