CINCINNATI - Some mothers may not be getting both chocolates and a bouquet for Mother's Day this year as consumers watch their spending. Even businesses that traditionally benefit from the holiday, such as florists and restaurants, are making special offers and products in hopes of luring last-minute customers.
Analysts say they do not expect a dramatic drop in Mother's Day spending, which ranks fourth in shopping behind the Christmas/Hanukkah/Kwanzaa holidays, back-to-school buying and Valentine's Day. But they say they think it will be lighter than in recent years, even with the extra cash from tax refunds and federal stimulus rebate payments.
"I'd be very surprised if there's any big jump in spending, and I'd be surprised if rebates get earmarked for Mother's Day," said Ken Perkins, president of the research firm Retail Metrics L.L.C. He said he thought spending would probably be about flat for Mother's Day.
With middle- and lower-income consumers especially feeling the pinch from rising food and gas prices, mothers may be the ones urging their loved ones to scale back.
Rosalie Pryor of Cincinnati told her 11 children to get her just cards this year instead of flowers and gifts.
"Some of them are working two jobs just to take care of their families," Pryor said. "With everyone living from paycheck to paycheck, I'd rather them use the money to pay bills."
Janet Hoffman, managing partner of the North American retail practice of Accenture, said she believed spending would be a little less than usual. She said she thought women were the first in the Christmas season to forgo items for themselves and probably asked families to cut spending for Mother's Day. "In this case, I think they are going to insist that Mother knows best," Hoffman said.
The National Retail Federation says it expects people to spend slightly less this year on Mother's Day gifts than last year and shoppers to concentrate on one major present rather than many smaller ones.
With Mother's Day the third-largest card-sending holiday, greeting-card companies say they are not worried. Hallmark Cards Inc. had just released a line of cards priced at $5.99 that allow senders to record a 10-second message on a computer chip in the cards that also contain pre-recorded music.
Mother's Day accounts for one-fourth of the floral purchases made for holidays annually, according to the Society of American Florists.
Jim McCann, founder and chief executive of 1-800-Flowers, said the company had not raised its prices even though its costs had gone up. He said it was working with suppliers to find ways to avoid having to do so. The company has not seen consumers trading down as they look to save money, he said.
Department stores' offerings included free shipping on some purchases from Macy's Inc.'s Web site, and a Macy's drawing for a $5,000 gift card and a shopping trip to one of several U.S. cities. Bloomingdale's provided special in-store events and a catalog offer.
Home-furnishings retailer Williams-Sonoma Inc. offered rush shipping on some items at standard prices.
Restaurants, among the businesses hurt by tightened consumer spending, are hoping people still take Mom out to eat.
"Mother's Day is always a big day for us, and we think it will be this year," said Andrew Jordan, senior vice president of marketing at T.G.I. Friday's. "But consumers are seeking value more than ever before."